Blog as a Tool of Reflective Learning to Enhance Students Critical Thinking

Umi Nur Rohmah

K2214055

ABSTRACT

Blogs, which are one of the social media that are easy to setup and manage, enable
students to use blogs as a tool for reflective learning. By making used the critical reflection
theories, the purpose of this research is to investigate the usage of blogs when become a
reflective medium in the learning processes of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student.
Sixty-four students in two natural sciences program in the 2 nd grade of senior high school are
participated in this research. They write 10 blog posts on chapter or topic that has been thought
and students are available to add a certain references. To collect the data qualitative method is
used, consisting of students make posts, conducting survey on the students reflective
experiences using blogs as reflection tools, and conducting group discussion monitored by
teachers in classroom activity. Finding shows that the students discuss actively about the
materials and they have additional information from their references. All of 64 students who take
part in this research consider technology as a beneficial tool for to communicate and to reflect to
others. The favourable implications for the usage of blogs providing and promoting as a medium
to do critical reflection for EFL teachers are discuss.

Keywords:Blog, critical reflection, qualitative research, senior high school students.

1. Introduction

Blogging is one way to communicate in a social context through the medium of technology.
It is easy and simple for both students and teacher, so that blogs become the most popular ICT
that can be used in teaching-learning process.
Yang (2009) explains that blog is used to give kinds of motivation to improve students
reading skill. People can read and also give comment on their posts. By seeing the peoples
response on the blogs, students can get new things to evaluate their work. Pupils have a chance
to read topics which is they are pay attention to and write what they really want to write.
In one study, researchers found that blogging allowed students to interpret, analyse, and
elaborate on concepts (Anderson et al., 2006). According to Godwin- Jones (2003), one of the
popular models is the community practices applications that group members are capable to
exchange information and examine their knowledge among a synchronic discussion club, such as
BBS and MOO.
 This research demonstrates the academic potential that exists in the blogging process. The
purpose of the current research is to investigate the usage of blogs when become a reflective
medium in the English as Foreign Language (EFL) students learning process.

2. Literature Review

In this era, technology plays a role in education field as a media of teaching for example
social media. Social media has many unique features that can support students creativity and
improving their communication skill. Blogging is easy and simple for both students and teacher,
so that blogs become the most popular ICT that can be used in teaching-learning process.

2.1. Reflective Learning

There is no doubt that blogs can be a tool for reflective learning. According to Thorpe
(2005), reflective learning is referring to a written summary conducted by students that they
consider about kinds of stereotypes and interactions in order to increase perceptions into self-
awareness and learning (p. 328).

In the previous research, Strampel (2007) said that blogs give students competency
evaluating their learning, revising and reflecting their thinking. This proof suggests that taking
notes about students learning, their ability to create and evaluate their work were improved
(Strampel & Oliver, 2007)
In conclusion, reflective learning is kind of activity for students to write the result from
their critical thinking that contains various concepts, events, or interaction at the end of learning
process. By reading some books and articles, students have new information that can improve
their comprehension. After writing, they can upload to their blog and make a discussion with
another blogger. From the discussion, asking and answering the questions also giving comment
or feedback may leads the students to do autonomous learning.

2.2. A Framework for Blogging

We have reached a day where all classrooms must begin to be transformed into 21 st
Century meccas in which technology takes on an active role in assisting students in becoming
thinkers and learners. The internet, as routine as it has become in our daily lives, is at the
forefront of technology being rolled out into students daily environment.
 This research is led by a work-design for academicals blogging created by Deng and
Yuen (2011). The work-design is concern to the academicals affordances of blogging inside the
candidate of teacher to ease the cognitive and social improvement. Through experimental study
of mutual groups, Deng and Yuen revised their work-design in order to emphasize that there is
additional blogging behaviour in which reading posts act and feedback causes a relation that
bring on personal reflection (see Figure 1).
According to the work-design, the candidate of teachers can involve in three blogging
behaviours that conclude in a reflective skills residing from personal to general.

3. Action Plan

This research is classroom action research. Sixty-four students are participated in this
research. To collect the data, qualitative method is used. They read books and articles related to
the topics in every chapter from teachers module. This kind of activity is divided into two major
classroom activities.

First, they work in group. Each group consist of 4 students. They are looking for articles
or books related to the material, and then they write things that they have learned from the both.
Additional information is required. At the third meeting, they post the result in their blog. This
activity ends in three meetings.

Second, they work individually. The activity is almost same as the first activity but each
student posted their summary in every 2 meetings. The blog contains the title of the chapter,
summary from the articles or book that they have read before and things that they have learned.
Also they put the resources in the end of the paragraph. It may help the other students to read the
book or articles. This activity ends up in 10 meetings.

From this activity, students may have questions about the materials or new things that
they have found. They also can understand new words or vocabulary so that their vocabulary
bank is improved. The challenge is when students write a blog dealing with reflection learning.
They have to brainstorming and find many sources as many as they can.
 References

Garza, Rubn., Smith, Shaunna F. 2015. Pre-service Teachers Blog Reflections: Illuminating Their
Growth and Development. Cogent Education, 2: 1066550, 5-15.

Lancaster, Jennifer N., Peak, Kayla, Ray, Billy Jack. 2015. Publishing in The Blogosphore: Impacts on
Students Professional Writing. Journal of Physical Education and Sports Management, 2(1), 19-
28.

Mansor, Ahmad Z. 2011. Reflective Learning Journal Using Blog. Procedia Social and Behavioral
Sciences, 18, 506-516.

Sidek, Emelia A., Yunus, Melor Md. 2012. Students Experiences on Using Blog as Learning Journals.
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 67, 135 143.

Yang, S.-H. (2009). Using Blogs to Enhance Critical Reflection and Community of Practice. Educational
Technology & Society, 12(2), 1121.