In this second part of the series on edublogging, I provide an overview of some key concerns about the use of edublogs within formal education.

Downes (2004) explained that Will Richardson, who has been blogging for eight years, had expressed

doubts in a dialogue with other edu-bloggers about assigning students blogging activities as part

of instruction (Richardson, 2004). He explained that blogging cannot be really blogging if it is assigned.

In fact, it is contrived and artificial, with students just writing for an audience of one, their instructor.

And instead of being encouraged by the experience, students are turned off by it. “When the semester ends,

students drop blogging like wet cement” (Downes, 2004, pg. 24).

Downes also referred to Alan Levine’s reservations about the potentially restrictive nature of

edu-blogging. There needs to be voice-back for the readers for it to be called blogging.

Otherwise there is no conversation occurring for the author, locked in a monologue.

Such a voice is a lonely voice, and is less interesting if there is no chance of interaction (Downes, 2004).

The concern whether blogging that carries on the same type of relationship between students and

teachers from the conventional classroom captures the spirit of blogging as an empowering,

transformative experience, is an important point educators need to account for when deciding to adopt

edu-blogging as an instructional tool for their learners. As the number of reluctant student bloggers

increases, the issue will be increasingly significant.

Dave Cormier (2009) recently raised this point again concerning the ethical use of requiring students

to blog and evaluating their posts as part of coursework. He asked the question of what happens

when those who blog are no longer self-selecting, when they feel they must in order to compete. 

He asserted that these are not things we should even be teaching people, moving learners away

from the way they wish to work.

English (2001) identified two significant ethical issues concerning journal writing (and equally

appropriate for blogging in educational contexts): the need to balance the personal and professional,

and the concern over assessment of personal content. The issue of effectively identifying and

addressing audience with authenticity and integrity is an issue that instructors need to discuss

with their students. What of those cases when students refuse to self-disclose, and project

a pseudo-self of inauthentic content and experiences to obtain grades? English agreed with Boud

and Walker (1998) that there are some cases of inappropriate levels of self-disclosure required of

students, and that demanding too much self-disclosure without also providing adequate support

for learners is inappropriate, particularly in cases when learners require counseling support to

work through these self-revelations (English, 2001).

Another key ethical issue is assessment, which can impede self-reflection in learners, particularly

for those learners new to blogging who do not feel comfortable with the journaling process.

Educators need to offer a set of guidelines, such as rubrics, outlining expectations, the nature of

reflection, all framed in an explanatory context for why this journaling activity was selected, and

what learning goals will be achieved (English, 2001).

Though learners may initially lack the skills and confidence to perform in the different edu-blogging

contexts, and express concerns about assessment of self-disclosed, private thoughts and experiences,

it is crucial for learners to be introduced to edu-blogging, to these different ways of knowing, to be

better prepared for future participation online.