1. Why They (Won’t) Blog
Dr. Marcel Rotter – University of Mary Washington

2. Background UMW
 University of Mary Washington in
Fredericksburg, VA
 4000 undergraduate Students,
800 graduate students
 Largest majors in Biology, Psychology, Business, English
 Department of Modern Foreign Languages:
- Spanish, French, German (=majors)
- Italian, Arabic, Chinese (= language programs)
- Language Requirement (intermediate proficiency or
2 years of college-level instruction)

3. Blogging in Advanced German Class
 Part of the syllabus
 “technical session” with IT support staff
 Assignment of topics usually through
teacher’s or class blog
 Students have to blog 1-2 paragraphs &
comment on at least two other blogs
 Teacher comments on students’ blogs
 Grade assigned to force participation

4. Problems
 Students unwilling to blog in the FL in German and
some Spanish classes (teacher interviews, student
survey)
 Would students blog in FL without a grade?
 How to make the assignment of the grade
transparent?
 Make it part of a comment on the blog site? (FERPA=)
 Email explanation? (effective)
 Correction by students? (against natural
 Privacy issues

5. Elements in the blogging process
1. Technology
2. Teacher
3. Students
4. Content
6. [Administration]
7. [Parents]

6. 1. Technology
 impact of other technology on teaching
Thomas Edison in 1922:
 “I believe that the motion picture is destined to
revolutionize our educational system, and that in a
few years it will supplant largely, if not entirely, the
use of textbooks. The education of the future will
be conducted through the medium of the motion
picture, a visualized education, where it should be
possible to obtain one hundred percent efficiency”.

7. 1. Technology
 Seymor Papert 1984:
 “There won’t be schools in the future.
The computer will blow up the school”.
 similar claims about the radio, TV, ‘teaching
machines’ (learning laboratories)

8. 1. Technology
 Larry Cuban: history of these visions of technological utopia, how the same
kinds of educational claims recurred with each medium, and how in each
case those claims were largely refuted by subsequent developments
 large majority of teachers ignored these apparently revolutionary devises
 after extensive investments and a period of initial fascination technology
left to gather dust. [2]
 Government: largely uncritical acceptance of nebulous rhetorics of the
“information society”
 Example:claim that majority of employers now require workers with high
levels of technological skills
 but even within the technology industries, they are more interested in
much broader personal and social qualities. (Cup stacking?)
 Sales pitch of Computer shops to parents and college students: Computers
will enable you to ‘get ahead’ in the educational race.
 Technology advertising preys upon adults’ anxieties about their own
incompetence and their fear of failing to ‘catch up’ with the younger
generation

Larry Cuban Teachers and Machines (New York Teachers College Press, 1986), and see also Carolyn Marvin When Old Technologies Were New (Oxford:
[2]
Oxford University Press, 1988)

9. 1. Technology 2. Teacher
 How should schools respond to the role of
digital media in students’ lives?
 Teacher training in new technology
 Changing authority in knowledge acquisition

10. 2. Teachers:
 bulk of funding on new media has been spend in the past
on hard ware, significantly less on software and even less
on training teachers
 lack of training  teachers feel often not confident to
include new technologies
 Many teachers remain skeptical about the educational
benefits of computer technology [3]
 [3] studies: Cuban Oversold and Underused: Computers in the Classroom (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press,
2001); Karen Ferneding Questioning Technology: Electronic Technologies and Educational Reform (New York: Peter
Lang, 2003); Joschua Angrist and Victor Lavy ‘New Evidence on Classroom Computers and Pupil Learning’ Economic
Journal 112: 735-765, 2002; Ros Sutherland et al. ‘InterActive Education: Teaching and Learning in the Information
Age’, final report to ESRC [= Economic and Social Research Council; UK], 2005.

11. 3. Students
 young people’s media increasingly inaccessible to the
majority of adults (by design?)
 banality of much new media use

12. 3. Students
 Young people permeated/defined by modern
media  contemporary consumer culture.
 democratization of relationships
 students’ experiences with electronic media
 Outside of school: the self-determined user/consumer
 Inside of school: the “guided” student
 New media mostly interactive (“Pull-media”)
 Older media, such as TV (“Push-media”)
 both kinds inter-connected
 boundaries between mass communication and
interpersonal communication breaking down

13. 3. Students
 Are our students really so media-savvy as
we think?
 Digital media = indispensable aspect of
young people’s leisure time experiences.
 Does exposure to media means mastering
them?

14. 4. Advantages and Disadvantages of
Blogging (a subjective list)
Advantages Disadvantages
•multi-medial possibilities → •diacritical signs (ä, ö, ü, ß…)
image, music, video prompts cumbersome
•real audience, not only teacher •language scaffolding necessary
•technology instruction
necessary
•time-consuming

15. Surveys among students
2. 2008: 50 FL students, 20 English
majors
4. 2009: 75 students from FL and
other departments

17. Bloggers / Non-Bloggers

18. Length of exposure

19. Blog-Site ownership

20. Current Use

21. 3. Did you blog in the last 2 weeks?
Yes NO
102 4 5
385 3 1
Survey monkey 9 10
All
16 16

22. 3. Do you currently have a blog site?
Yes Yes, but unused NO
102 4 2 3
385 2 1
Survey monkey 7 8
All
13 11 3
I have one that I no longer
update. I just comment on
other people’s.

23. Motivation of Blogging
IIhad to blog class. I like howthan that I
did it for for classes, other it saves
don't do it. Blogs don't interest me
everything automatically often and
I because they are too internet-intensive
like using it for classes, it’s a good
and not very personal. They rely too
way to get everyone’s information
much on internet persona and not a real
in theperson. place.
same

24. 4. Why do/did you blog?
102 385 Monkey
Personal expression/ 2 2 4
diary
For a class 4 3 14
To keep in touch with 3 1
friends
For an audience 2

25. Feature Preferences I
The best part of blogging is the comments. I
don't always use them and they aren't
always welcome, but usually they are a
great tool. … Commenting, even when
teachers force it, is a way to move all
people into thinking for themselves,
constructively, and forming their OWN
thoughts on the matter. From a writers
standpoint, comments are excellent
feedback.

26. Feature Preferences II
…and its very exposing to
put your innermost thoughts
on the net. Some people can't
take that kind of pressure but
use a blog anyway and then
can't take the pressure when
poor comments are made.

27. 5. Which features do you (dis)like?
Like Dislike
102 Comments (3) “it
takes over life”
Privacy of certain sites No privacy
Ability to add pictures
385 Themes/layout (2) Privacy
Comments Technological malfunction
Ease of use
Survey Comments Privacy (2)
monkey

29. 6. Did you ever blog in a FL?
Yes NO Yes, in French
(beginner/intermediate), Spanish
(intermediate), and German
102 2 7 (beginner). I comment in other
languages often. I have a lot of
friends on LiveJournal from other
countries.
385 2 2
Survey monkey 13 3
All
17 12

30. Yes, in French
FL Distribution
(beginner/intermediate), Spanish
(intermediate), and German
(beginner). I comment in other
languages often. I have a lot of
friends on LiveJournal from other
countries.

31. Motivation for Blogging in FL
Blogging in a I have blogged in Spanish for my classes. They were
foreign language not effective because no one was interested in doing
kinda allows one to them. The idea was for us to share our ideas with
each other and respond, but since it was forced,
make the language
people only did it (when they did it) because they
one's own. had to and it did not generate deeper thought.

32. 7. Why did you blog in a FL?
102 385 Monkey
For a Spanish For a class (3) For a class (8)
Literature class
To accommodate While being abroad
friends
For personal reasons

33. Obstacles to Blogging in FL
I maintained a blog in Spanish for my literature course. The only thing
that would motivate me to blog (not just in a foreign language) would be
grading. … Let's leave the blogs to the middle school students
complaining about how awful their lives are.

34. Motivation for Blogging in FL
Possibly. If I ever
become truly fluent in
a foreign language then
yes, it is a good way for classesbut I cannot
I will,
to communicate and farther in another
think
practice their use of the language. and certainly
language
It is especially nice for students much work
it's too
who are not strong speakers. very little hope of
with
payoff.

35. Obstacles to Blogging
I find myself unable toThey're a waste blogging
Reasons for notattend school,
maintain a blog, of time.
and do everything I'd often include: I've also found
like to get done. Facebook is
…
sites like Fictionpress.com to be better suited to
not an ideal medium for
displaying fiction to a more critical audience. I have
no desire to use a blogIas a common journal. I door
blogging feel one really
do not No any need
however read the blogs of myto hear and find have
wants to blogwhat I them
desire friends
insightful. to talk about

36. Motivation to Blog
If I find I have this burning
desire to reach the world
(perhapsas part of project to
perhaps if I become a
perhaps, for teaching
hermit) interest in my
generatethen I will no doubt
purposes.
blog in an organization,
non-profit effort to reach
the outside world.Honduras
Students Helping

37. 8. What would motivate you to blog in a FL?
102 385 Monkey
To improve language Class assignment/ Fluency -2
skills teacher
Assignment Confidence (fluency) - 2
Friends with same
sites
Lack
of Would not 3
communication skills

38. 10. Why don’t you blog?
I find myself for notmaintain a blog,
Reasonsaunable to of time. like
They're and do everything I'd
attend school,
waste blogging
… done. I've also Facebook
often include: found sites like is
to get
Fictionpress.com to be better suited to
not an ideal to a more critical
medium for
102 385 Monkey displaying fiction
I do nothave no one really blog
bloggingfeel any need aor
audience. I No desire to use
Too complicated 1 as a common journal. I do however read
(technically)
desire of hear what I them
wants tomy friends and findhave
the blogs
blog
to talk about
insightful.
Blogging battles 1
Privacy 2 3 5
No time 2 3 1
Not interested 1 3
Nothing to say 1 1 3
Lack of language 1
proficiency
Too lazy 2

39. Electronic Media Use

40. 9. What electronic devices do you use?
Computer – 47
I stopped listending to myplayerbecause ICell phonewas
Mp3 iPod – 28 realized I – 23
doing it
TV – 11to distract myself and avoid thinking about things,
Game consoles-5 Dvd-player - 5
or because I didn't want to be left 3
Printer – 3 Calculator - alone to realize I wasn't
Camera – 2
spending time in communion with God. I try to not turn on
Voice just for background noise either, because the Bible
the tv recorder – Radio - 1 CD-Player - 1
1
talks about being still before Him. So now only when I go
running (because I hate running, haha) do I use a shuffle. I
E-books – 1 Stereo - 1 PDA – 1
don't listen to music while studying because it's not my
Facebook - 1 Email - 1 Blackboard - 5
style (I get distracted by it).
Search Engines-1 Internet Lamp - 1
Databases - 1 Dictionary – 1

41. Creating Media

42. Creating Media

43. 11. Under what conditions would
you blog in the future?
Would – 9 Would not – 5 Maybe – 1
Share ideas/something to say – Facebook
(5)
Class – 3 Not a useful way of
communication
Distribute information from “internet clutter”
abroad (2)
Political blogging
Creative writing
More time
perhaps, have of burning
If I find Ifor teaching
perhaps as part thisproject to
purposes.
desire to reach the my
generate interest inworld
Gain information from it
(perhaps if I become a
non-profit organization,
Improved security hermit) then I will no doubt
Students Helping Honduras
blog in an effort to reach
Keep in touch with friends
the outside world.

44. Yes -25 No - 6 Maybe - 1
If forced for class – 24 Nothing to say
Good practice – 16 Privacy
If fluent enough – 12 Not competent enough
Creative self-expression – 6 dislike
If teaching - 2
Possibly. If I ever become is a fluent inway foreasy
yes, it truly good just as
Yes, Spanish isinaanotherforiegn
For fun language then I will, but I cannot think
language and certainlymetoo much work with veryand
classes to communicate little
for it's write in as
Feedback hope of payoff. There's no guarantee somebodyuse of
farther practice their is going
English.
to come along and be able to read the language my blog is
in. Of course I say thislanguage. ignorant of the
the because I am It is especially
amount other nations use the students who are not
nice for Internet. It's not exactly
something we're taught in class and most people don't
strong speakers.
announce on the Internet where they're from.

45.  Conference on Cyberspace as Realm of Learning and Knowledge
(Alpen-Adria-University Klagenfurt, Austria)
 Learning of the future - sociologist Oskar Negt and futurologist
Matthias Horn: Key Competencies
 connected thinking
 identity competency
 justice competency
 technological competency
 in addition - Matthias Horx
 independence
 ability to work in a team
 creativity
 emotional intelligence
 others
 learning as an enjoyable life-long endeavor
 education is more than just acquisition of knowledge, it is also builds
identities

46. Elements of success in blogging (?)
 Students
 Must be fluent enough to express opinions
 Must be motivated to share opinions
 Must have a sense of identity
 Must be able to use technology
 Teacher
 Must plan blog as integrate part of course
 Must provide motivation and stimulation
 Must master technology (or must have help)

47. Elements of success in blogging (?)
 Content
 Must be relevant to students
 Can be multi-medial
 Technology
 Must be easy to deal with
 Must be attractive to students

48. Elements of success in blogging (?)
 virtual places of learning are no substitute
for face-to-face learning, just an extension
and broadening
 Online and Offline content must be
connected since it is the same subject

49. Elements of success in blogging (?)
 Network structures in cyberspace  change
in roles of students:
 “owners of knowledge”  participants in
creation of knowledge
 roles are constantly changing: author 
reader  producer  interpreter…
 But what if students refuse to participate in
this process

50. UMW Blogs
Blogging Survey:
http://rotter.umwmdfl.org/survey/index.php?sid=65443&lang=en
Blogs:
 http://germanthoughts.blogspot.com/
 http://german393.umwblogs.org/
 www.mrotter.umwblogs.org
Jeremy Larochelle (colleague in Spanish)
 freshman seminar: http://jlarochellefsem.umwblogs.org
 senior seminar: http://jlarochelle485.umwblogs.org
 Lit. courses: http://jlarochelle317.umwblogs.org.
Scott Powers (colleague in French)
 Contemporary France Seminar: http://fren316.umwblogs.org/

51. Blogging until the end…