Course Structure

Using Blogs for Learning

Here's how this course works:

If you're reading this, you're reading a blog. On Monday of each week, the authors post a new blog on a theme related to Alaska studies.  We call each weekly blog posting a Module.  You have that entire week to read the module and access its associated media.

Your blog response for each week's module is due by the following Monday as the next module is being posted.  You can read more about the weekly blog assignment here.

Time Commitment

You should expect 2-3 hours to read each module and another 2-3 hours to respond.  Naturally, these times may vary depending on your technological limitations: patience, proficiency, hardware and internet speed.

Bold Headings Beginning With the Letter E

• Essential Questions
• Engage
• Explore
• Examine
• Explain
  
• Extend
• Evaluate

As you review each module, you will notice the use of the Bold Headings Beginning With the Letter E to help guide you through each lesson. 

As students and practitioners of classroom pedagogy and methodology, you may already be aware of the cycle of learning. We have taken the liberty of borrowing  elements from the learning cycle and have adapted them to our online purposes. 

Here's a menu of terms used in this course.  Each term is defined and designed to assist your understanding and help you know how to respond to the information provided.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS  

• EQ's are guiding questions presented at the beginning of each module. 
• EQ's are written to help focus your thinking and learning. 
• EQ's are general in nature and do not have a single, specific answer. 
• EQ's are addressed in your Weekly Blog Response.

ENGAGE 

• The authors offer EQ's to establish a mode of inquiry.
• The authors establish context for new modules.
• The authors introduce new themes and content.

 

EXPLORE

• The authors direct the reader to the media provided in each module.
• The reader visits each linked site and reviews the media presented there.  

EXAMINE 

• The authors raise specific questions and present important core concepts.
  
• The authors consider this information Essential for this course.
• The reader pursues understanding of the content.
• The reader demonstrates understanding of content on their Weekly Blog.

EXPLAIN 

• The authors conclude each module with questions for reader.
• The reader responds to two questions in their Weekly Blog.

EXTEND 

• The authors offer additional information, insight and opportunities.
• The authors consider this information Enrichment for this course.
• The reader shares new information, insights, media and methods on their Weekly Blog.

EVALUATE

• The reader reviews and links to course colleagues' blogs.
• The reader concludes their weekly blog with a paragraph reflecting on the relevance, importance or usefulness of the content and/or resources for each week's module. This information is very helpful to the authors as we reflect on this inaugural version of this course.
  

Other than as a useful process for learning, we also find it helpful to regard these terms as a kind of modified Bloom's Taxonomy.