Fostering critical thinking and reflection through blog-mediated peer feedback

The introduction of digital literacy practices has created a tension in academia, with many academics challenging the view that critical thinking can be fostered on social networks. A quasi-experimental study was conducted on two sections of university-level writing classrooms to determine if there were meaningful differences in the quality of writing and peer feedback generated through in-class draft workshops using traditional methods as compared to draft workshops using a blogging platform. The results indicated that blogs produced a higher quality of writing as measured by grades, f42=11.512, p<.002 and acceptance scores, f42=8.364, p<.006. Furthermore, blog-mediated peer workshops produced a statistically significantly higher number of critical comments, f42=120.438, p<.000; and directive comments, f42=33.861, p<.000. There were no statistically significant differences in the number of editing comments, f42=.001, p<.974, and traditional draft workshops produced a statistically significant higher number of naive comments, f42=14.119, p<.001. Within the study, critical comments were found to correlate positively with learning outcomes, b=1.115, t41=2.716, p<.01. The findings suggest that blogging software improved learner performance and fostered complex literacy skills.

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