USING WEB BLOGS AS A TOOL TO ENCOURAGE PRE- CLASS READING, POST-CLASS REFLECTIONS AND COLLABORATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Hind Al-Fadda
Curriculum & Instruction Department
TESOL
King Saud University
Saudi Arabia

Maha Al-Yahya
Information Technology Department
CCIS
King Saud University
Saudi Arabia

This paper reports on our students' experiments using blogs to encourage them to do pre-class reading assignment and reflections after class. The sample in the study included 5 EFL (English as Foreign Language) graduate students in a course of teaching methods and 90 Software Engineering students in an undergraduate Information Technology program. Results indicated that there was a positive attitude towards the use of blogs for pre-class preparation and post class reflections. However, for the experience to be successful it is important to consider the class size, students’ educational level, and the type of reading assignment.

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