Does Blogging Work?

It is difficult to give a yes/no answer but the following methods were used to guage success.

1. A hit counter (sitemeter) was added to the Blog. This was able to

• count the number of hits
• give the time of the hits i.e. outwith class-time,
• give whether the hits were from college equipment.

2. The students completed questionnaires (SurveyMonkey) either on-line or printed version.

3. Encouraging students to use the 'comments' feature of Blogger.

4. Informal discussions between students and Numeracy Tutor and also Course Tutors.

In general, students get to the correct web address quickly by avoiding the complexities of web navigation. This feature alone makes Blogging worthwhile.

In addition, almost all students enjoy using the Blog and refer to it as 'their website'.

A Blog can only succeed if it is fed. If it is not fed, students lose interest in it.