7 Things You Should Know

I wish I had found this article when I started blogging on this subject because the information is very useful for explaining what vlogging is and what purposes it can serve. You can skip section 1 because this covers what a vlog is, something we discussed in week 9. However, please read the Scenario and the other sections of the article. I found the “Why is it significant?” section to be of particular interest as well as section 7, “What are the implications for teaching and learning?” These sections discuss the impact that vlogging has by allowing greater personal expression than one is capable of achieving through text-based blogging. As they become more and more media literate, our students can take advantage of such benefits of vlogging in their classroom projects and as a means of expressing their own personal interests and connecting with others who share those interests. As this technology grows in popularity and becomes easier and faster to use, both teachers and students will find new and interesting ways to use this technology for wider communication of ideas and as an outlet for personal expression.

The Scenario section discusses Evan, a distance learning student who begins vlogging as a means of communicating with his fellow students about his educational experience. Since distance education is often criticized for being impersonal, do you think Evan has hit on a possible solution? Do you think vlogging is something that can help people create more personal connections and do you think vlogging with your professors and fellow distance-learning students would enhance your distance-learning experience?

Reference:
Educause Learning Initiative. (2005, August). Seven things you should know about…Videoblogging. Retrieved April 17, 2008 from the ELI Web site: http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7005.pdf