Waterloo LEARN is the new online learning system. It was introduced in the Spring of 2011 and has been fully integrated in on-campus blended courses since January 2012. There are many activities that faculty can use in this system to increase the learning experience for their students. The blog is one of those features. I spent the weekend creating my first blog. Yes, all weekend working to create what I believe to be a space reflective of my personality: the background mirrors a clear wintry night’s sky and there is a lot of writing space for what I hope to be many entries about whatever interests me at that particular time. I’m hooked!
Blogs promote the development of writing skills, re-energize one’s creativity, and document experiences that are meaningful to the author of the blog. Blogs make good assessment tools. The eportfolio is another tool that is integrated in Waterloo LEARN and used by some faculty on-campus in assessing what a student has learned and how well this new knowledge has been integrated in their lives over time. The LEARN User Group has done a good job of highlighting the work of these instructors and will continue to do so throughout this year. I would encourage anyone reading this post to create your own blog and consider how the blog tool or eportfolio tool can be incorporated in your course.
If you’d like to know more about Waterloo LEARN or other services offered through the Centre for Teaching Excellence, please contact your department Liaison.