clipped from dekita.org

getting students to blog is through extrinsic factors of quantitative evaluation and accountability. Students are given blogging assignments at consistent intervals, and the teacher tracks the quantity of student posts and comments, considers the quality of writing and effort, and finally assigns points or grades accordingly. This ‘crack the whip’ method coerces students to post to their blogs, read other posts, and comment on them. In doing so, students will read, write, and post; and if they don’t, they either receive a lower grade or, depending on the assigned value of blogging in the curriculum, fail altogether. In the end, students will have most likely improved their reading and writing skills, gotten some insightful feedback from others to consider, and have even exercised their reflective and critical skills. Whether or not students will enjoy blogging, see the potential value of it, and continue blogging on their own after the course is finished is secondary