Towards a framework for the use of blogs in the teaching and learning process

This study seeks to develop a framework for the use of blogs in the teaching and learning process using qualitative data gathered from computer mediated communication (CMC). The primary CMC data source came from relevant blog articles and participants blog post under the Britannica website (britannica.com/blogs) and selection process was based on theoretical sampling. A total of eight blog articles, two online blog interview transcripts and 413 blog participants transcripts where coded and used in this study. The approach looks into the CMC data gathering method of Silverman (2004) and the method of generating theory by Pandit (1996). During the analysis of data, a hybrid constant comparison and content analysis model designed by Hannah (2005) was used to analyze the literature articles leading towards an A priori assumption. The findings show the objective of using blogs in the teaching and learning process is to have engaged learners. The study also determined nine emerging high level category themes namely: Valuing, Executing, Hurdling, Reflecting, Empowering, Standardizing, Managing, Strategizing and Engaging that connect into a framework. These themes along with supplements derived from further review of related literature led to the final framework for the use of blogs in the teaching and learning process. The emergent framework, represented as a living ecosystem, serves as a model for educational leaders in selecting and implementing methods that ensure synergy and collaboration among various living themes in order to function and achieve the end goal of having engaged learners