The Ripple Effect

Konrad Glogowski from the blog of proximal development offers a very thought provoking learning aid called The Ripple Effect Reflection Sheet.

While the document was initially created with Year 8 students in mind the implications it presents are quite relevant to the wider topic of educational blogging.

According to Glogowski:

“The Ripple Effect Sheet is designed to encourage students to become aware of the class blogosphere, of other writers, of entries that define the environment in which they write, and of their own contributions to that environment.”

The ripples depicted in the handout are graphical representations of the learning processes the student undergoes during the course of their studies, and highlight how certain posts contribute and relate to this process. Importantly, influential posts are not restricted to their own work, but the work of their others as well; and the Strengths and Weaknesses area provides the opportunity for self-evaluation.

I’ve touched on the criticality of cultivating a vibrant and participatory student blogging community before, and this is real-world example. The significance of a blog is not in the delivery of your own content, but the collaborative learning system and overarching learning processes that the ecosystem facilitates.

In this example, Glogowski describes a student-lead, community-supported learning model, in which students are encouraged to undertake self-assessments, actively evaluate and recognise the factors that are contributing to their own learning processes, and develop an appreciation for the significance of the wider community they are part of.

As Glogowski emphasises, there is inherent value in this:

“…my doctoral research suggests that peer comments can have a stronger impact on confidence, engagement, and development of writing skills than comments left by the teacher.”

Peers exert a tremendous influence one another and therefore offer valuable opportunity for exploration of an entirely different learning dynamic.

Glogowski’s post – Towards Reflective BlogTalk – is quite comprehensive and well worth a read.