Finding my academic voice

Part of being an academic is feeling confident in the knowledge you have and sharing it in many different forums.  Student blogs are one way to begin this sharing journey.  Nackerud, S. and Scarletta, K. said, "many people in academia view - and judge-blogs as forms of academic production or a vehicle for scholars to become public intellectuals." (2008, p.71)   I am an infant in this journey.   I am tentatively spreading my wings, but I am not quite ready to fly. Does this mean I don't have anything to say? No! Like many, I have interests and opinions on many things.  However, I am not far enough along in my academic studies to be able to concretely back up my opinions with original research.

Estes says, "Blogging helps me to bring together aspects of my academic and non-academic lives, as well as to start thinking about issues that will eventually get my academic attention." (2012, p. 974) This statement speaks directly to me.  When I get excited about an idea, technology,  or a new way of thinking about things, my blogs reflect that excitement and passion. I experiment with ideas and how I can use these ideas to enhance my practice in adult basic education. I see possibilities and write about these possibilities.  These are informal musings that may some day lead to direct research. Currently, they are ideas; ideas that raise my interest and enthusiasm for making the world, my practice and adult basic education more accessible and just. This is my academic voice, a voice of possibilities for change in myself and my practice.

Estes, H. (2012). Blogging and academic identity. Literature Compass, 9(12), 974-982. DOI: 10.1111/lic3.12017

Nackerud, S., & Scaletta, K. (2008). Blogging in the academy.  New Directions for Student Services (124), 71-87.  DOI: 10.1002/ss.296

Recognition of Prior Learning and Blogs

In my work life, I am responsible for the Department of Education, Culture and Employment, adult education recognition of prior learning process.  This process enables learners enrolled in adult basic education to get prior learning recognition through a portfolio, for learning they have achieved in formal, informal and nonformal ways.  The recognition of prior learning leads to the attainment of the NWT Senior Secondary School diploma, an NWT high school diploma.

While reading Blogging: The Remediation of Academic and Business Communications Thesis (Asselin, K.) it occurred to me that blogging could be used as direct evidence of learning.  Asselin K, states:  "Blogging also provides a way for teachers to connect with students from around the world who might not ordinarily be able to participate.  Tapscott and Williams offer the example of  "an aspiring student in Mumbai who has always dreamed of MIT can now access the university's entire curriculum online without pay a penny in tuition fees [and]...Become part of MIT, participating in lifelong learning for the lifelong learning for the global knowledge economy." (Tapscott and Williams as cited in Asselin, K. p.18)

This statement leads me to analyze how we evaluate evidence in recognition of prior learning.  Blogs would be considered direct evidence because it is something the learner has developed themselves.  Blogs can be evaluated against learning outcomes in courses if they include a reflection of the learning, and they can be included in a portfolio.

Decisions on whether blogs would meet the requirements of direct evidence will require research that compares blogging to the Canadian Association of Prior Learning Assessment (CAPLA) capla.ca quality standards to determine what criteria the Blogs must meet to be considered rigorous evidence of learning.  In all recognition of prior learning, it is the learning, not the experience that is important.  Criteria would need to be clearly established to ensure that learning requirements based on course outcomes were met.

I had not thought about blogging as direct evidence of learning in the past.  This certainly is a thought provoking idea that I will research. If blogging meets the criteria rigour, then I will include it in our Prior Learning Assessment Portfolio Development Course as potential direct evidence for portfolios.

Reference

Asselin, K. (2008)  Blogging: The remediation of academic and business communications, (master's thesis), Ann Arbor, Michigan: ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing. (UMI No. 1452706).