When one thinks about a university math class, several thoughts For mathematics Professor Chad Topaz, however, blogs are an Topaz requires each of his students to write blogs after every Topaz is one of a number of UCLA professors turning to blogs as In his class, students are asked to respond in a blog to the Students are also asked to write on what they find interesting The use of blogging also helps Topaz tailor his lectures to Some students have reacted positively to the new use of “I think blogging is a really good idea. He forces you to Saabir Kapoor, a fourth-year applied mathematics and Topaz is not the only faculty member on campus who uses blogging Visiting scholar H. Samy Alim uses blogs in his course, Students are required to write two blog entries per week, one in This more anonymous form of communication allows reserved Alim also said he adjusts his lectures according to the Additional benefits of blogging, according to Alim, are that Patrick Williams, a fifth-year political science student, said Alim believes that blogging as a part of class instruction is “Lectures can’t be analog while (students’) English Professor Katherine Hayles has also used blogs for her For Hayles, the blogs offer more flexibility and easy access for Students can post links, images and other diverse material and Hayles has tried using course Web sites and e-mail in the past Matt Dubord, a doctoral candidate in English, said that blogging Dubord said in his own English 4W class, blog entries by his
come to mind ““ finals, midterms, problem sets ““ but
blogging is usually not one of them.
important tool for learning math.
textbook reading as a portion of their final grade in Math 151A,
“Applied Numerical Methods.”
a tool to enhance out-of-classroom learning.
part of the reading assignment they found more difficult to
understand.
about the material, or how it relates to the world or their other
knowledge and interests.
course elements that most students find difficult. Topaz said after
reading the class entries he sees trends of what students do not
understand.
technology.
give a quick feedback,” said Brian Price, a fourth-year
mathematics student.
economics/international area studies student in the class, said he
thought the blogs would help students be better prepared for the
class, but said the blogging could be tedious.
as a part of class.
“The Language of Hip Hop Culture,” which is
cross-listed in anthropology and Afro-American studies.
response to the reading and another to generate discussion among
the students beyond the classroom.
students an opportunity to express their opinions without
face-to-face contact and also provides a more comfortable
environment to discuss sensitive issues presented in class, Alim
said.
responses he reads in the blog.
class time is doubled when students are thinking about the material
while blogging and that it builds upon class discussions that are
time-constrained.
blogging in class was “a new, pretty personalized way to
express yourself. It’s an easy way to track different threads
of thoughts.”
part of a growing trend and a natural progression of pedagogy with
so many students on the Web.
lives are digital,” Alim said.
seminars for graduate students. In the blogs, students respond to
the literature, and read and share their views with faculty and
other students.
students and faculty to communicate.
extend discussions beyond the seminar.
for discussions outside the classroom, but said she found blogging
to be the most workable.
in Hayles’ class allowed for online collaboration among
students when they cannot meet together physically.
students allow him to monitor their progress daily.
Blogs update class experience
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