Switching from Canvas
discussion boards to blogging feels like stepping out of a structured classroom
and into a space I have to shape myself. Discussion boards are effective for
guided, instructor-framed conversations and work well for learners who benefit
from clear prompts and predictable structure. But for self-directed learning
(SDL), blogging is not the same activity. The difference is not the platform—it
is who sets the terms.
Knowles (1980) explains that adults develop toward autonomy,
and Kang (2025) argues that meaningful technology integration begins with
understanding learners and choosing tools that support that autonomy. Blogging
does exactly that. It gives me room to decide how I want to express ideas, how
I want my space to look, and how I want to connect readings to my own
experiences. Grow’s (1991) Staged Self-Directed Learning model helped me see
the contrast clearly: discussion boards fit learners who need more structure
(Stages 1–2), while blogs support learners ready to take more initiative
(Stages 3–4).
I will admit I was intimidated at first. I have read blogs
for years, but creating one felt different—almost like standing before a blank canvas — or the open field in Figure 1. I worried about doing it “right,” especially when others already have
polished websites. That hesitation was real, but it also pushed me to grow.
Blogging feels a bit like journaling, except the notebook is not locked.
Because I work in a security-conscious environment, privacy matters to me, so I
chose restricted access. Making that decision—evaluating risks, setting
boundaries, and adjusting the tool to fit my comfort level—was itself an SDL
moment.
So no, blogging is not the same as discussion board activity
for an SDLer. It asks more of me, and that is exactly why it feels worth doing.
References
Grow, G. O. (1991). Teaching learners to be self-directed. Adult
Education Quarterly, 41(3), 125–149.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0001848191041003001
Kang, H. (2025). Adult learning and meaningful technology
integration (2nd ed.). New Prairie Press.
Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult
education: From pedagogy to andragogy (Revised ed.). Cambridge Adult
Education.
I identify with your concerns about blogging for the first time. While I have been published in journals I have never been able to bring myself to create a blog even though I write professionally. This hesitation is driven from instincts that it may be unhealthy. I ask myself if this something evolution has caught up with: the ability to put your thoughts into words and then share with the entire world. That concept is very similar to twitter, which we know has detrimental effects on society and one's mental health. On the other hand, I found research I shared in Abby's blog comments that blogging can be cathartic. This may be due to opening yourself up to more community (an online community). A proof that this could provide benefits is from what we see with PTSD survivors: “Facilitating and encouraging disclosure in individuals who feel unable to disclose traumatic contents may be clinically relevant in preventing feelings of social disapproval and isolation.” (Köhler et al., 2018, p. 610)
ReplyDeleteIf disclosing your thoughts and feelings to a community provides benefits in such manner, we can extrapolate that blogging could help nearly all through catharsis, as just by living long enough, everyone encounters truly difficult experiences that may be better treated in an open manner through words with communities.
Köhler, M., Schäfer, H., Goebel, S., & Pedersen, A. (2018). The role of disclosure attitudes in the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity and perceived social support among emergency service workers. Psychiatry Research, 270, 602–610. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.049
Hello Ed Tech Talks! Thanks so much for sharing this insightful perspective. Your thoughts on the natural hesitation around blogging really resonated with me. The idea that public self‑disclosure is a relatively recent part of human behavior—and that we’re still figuring out how to handle it in a healthy way—really hits home. I also appreciated your link between the potential mental health risks of platforms like Twitter and broader issues like digital overstimulation and social comparison (Köhler et al., 2018).
DeleteI appreciate how you linked blogging with the therapeutic advantages of sharing personal stories. I hadn't considered this connection before. Your insight—that encouraging expression can reduce feelings of isolation in individuals with PTSD—is very persuasive (Köhler et al., 2018). This perspective encourages me to see blogging not only as an educational resource but also as a secure environment where adults can reflect on their experiences and build community. Recognizing this shift in view helps me understand that the openness of blogging can be purposeful and significant, rather than just risky.
Thank you again for your thoughtful engagement with the post. Your insights bring a new perspective I hadn’t considered before.
Reference
Köhler, M., Schäfer, H., Goebel, S., & Pedersen, A. (2018). The role of disclosure attitudes in the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity and perceived social support among emergency service workers. Psychiatry Research, 270, 602–610.
Hello! Thanks for sharing your perspective on this topic. I especially benefitted from reading your application of Grow’s (1991) Staged Self-Directed Learning model and where self-directed learners fit within each stage. This model application is a helpful way to understand how self-directed learners benefit from blogging and discussion boards. I took the opposite position in my blog post, and think that your comment about stepping into a new space really resonated with me and challenged my perspective. This comment reminded me of the benefits of experiential learning and the growth and challenge that you speak of in your post (Kolb, 2015). While blogging is not what immediately comes to mind for me when I think of experiential learning, for those of us in fully online programs, it can provide a similar feeling. When we are encouraged to stretch and try something new, like writing in a new space, it can be beneficial for our development and learning.
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Grow, G. O. (1991). Teaching learners to be self-directed. Adult Education Quarterly, 41(3), 125–149. https://doi.org/10.1177/0001848191041003001
Kang, H. (2025). Adult learning and meaningful technology integration (2nd ed.). New Prairie Press.
Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential Learning : Experience As the Source of Learning and Development (Second edition.). Pearson ITP.
Thank you, Abbey! I always appreciate how you bring theory into conversation so naturally. I am glad the Grow (1991) connection resonated with you. I actuallly have been thinking a lot about how stepping into a new space pushes us into those Stage 2–3 moments where we’re stretching but still supported.
DeleteYour point about experiential learning (Kolb, 2015) really clicked for me. I had not thought of blogging as “experience,” but you’re right — in an online program, trying a new medium is a form of doing. It’s similar to what Muscanell & Gay (2025) describe in the EDUCAUSE student report: learners benefit when technology gives them flexibility and a sense of agency. Blogging feels like that — a small but meaningful shift in how we show up as learners.
Your comment also reminded me of Pettigrew et al. (2015), who found that blogging supports connection, validation, and cognitive stimulation — all elements that align with experiential learning cycles.
I also appreciate that you took an opposite stance in your own post. I love that our class creates space for those differences. It makes the learning richer, and your comment helped me see my own position with more nuance.
Thanks again for engaging so thoughtfully. I always enjoy reading your reflections.
References
Grow, G. O. (1991). Adult Education Quarterly, 41(3), 125–149.
Kolb, D. A. (2015). Experiential learning (2nd ed.). Pearson.
Muscanell, N., & Gay, K. (2025). 2025 Students and Technology Report. EDUCAUSE.
Pettigrew, S., Archer, C., & Harrigan, P. (2015). Maternal and Child Health Journal, 20(5), 1025–1031.
I really like the layout you chose for this post :)
ReplyDeleteThe visual structure of the photo at the top, and then also in the background. This open-space photo / background especially lands well as a metaphor for the "blank canvas" feeling you describe.
Kang (2025) notes that blogging allows for more non-verbal and sensory communication than a discussion board does, through things like interface design and layout choices, and I think your post is a good example of that in action. A discussion board post can vary in tone and argument, but it can't really vary in shape. Everyone's reply lives inside the same text box. Your blog lets the field photo, and the overall visual pacing carry part of the meaning the words alone can not. This strengthens your point that the difference between blog and discussion board isn't just "who sets the terms" for content, but who sets the terms for the entire sensory experience of the post.
This was a long academic way of calling your post pretty :) Well done.
References
Kang, H. (2025). Adult learner and technology: What questions to ask? In Adult learning and meaningful technology integration. Kansas State University Libraries. https://kstatelibraries.pressbooks.pub/learningtechintegration/chapter/adult-learner-and-technology-what-questions-to-ask/
Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy to andragogy (Rev. ed.). Cambridge Adult Education.
This is going to be a long academic way of saying I like your layout and your blog page is pretty. :) Well done.
ReplyDeleteI like the layout you chose for this post . The visual structure mirrors your argument. The open-field photo especially lands well as a metaphor for the "blank canvas" feeling you describe.
You make a strong case for blogging as autonomy over content, and your layout and photo choice are demonstrating another element of that autonomy, control over form. Kang (2025) notes that blogging allows for more non-verbal and sensory communication than a discussion board does, through things like interface design and layout choices, and I think your post is a good example of that in action.
While a discussion board post can vary in tone and argument, but it can not really vary in style. Your blog lets the field photo, the background, and the overall vibe carry part of the meaning.
The style strengthens your claim, the difference between blog and discussion board isn't just "who sets the terms" for content, but who sets the terms for the entire sensory experience of the post.
Reference:
Kang, H. (2025). Adult learner and technology: What questions to ask? In Adult learning and meaningful technology integration. Kansas State University Libraries. https://kstatelibraries.pressbooks.pub/learningtechintegration/chapter/adult-learner-and-technology-what-questions-to-ask/
This comment made me smile — thank you. I’m really glad the layout and photo landed for you. I wanted the visual space to echo that “blank canvas” feeling I described, so hearing that it worked means a lot.
DeleteYour point about sensory communication is so true. Kang (2025) talks about how blogging gives learners control over not just what they say but how they present it — the pacing, the visuals, the atmosphere. Your comment helped me see that more clearly.
It also reminded me of Witte (2007), who found that students often feel more ownership and voice in online writing spaces. And Pew Research Center (2023) shows that adults often feel unsure about newer technologies, but when a tool feels intuitive and expressive, it lowers that barrier. Blogging has felt like that for me.
And I appreciate your academic way of saying “your post is pretty.” I’ll take it in any dialect — scholarly or otherwise.
References
Kang, H. (2025). Adult learning and meaningful technology integration. New Prairie Press.
Knowles, M. S. (1980). The modern practice of adult education. Cambridge Books.
Pew Research Center. (2023). What Americans know about AI, cybersecurity and big tech.
Witte, S. (2007). Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(2), 92–96.
Blogging does feel like journaling. When I was immersed in blog culture when blogs were at its peak, I had a friend that blogged every day. It included her running, what she was doing, how she felt etc. I also had a friend that kept a secret blog that she did not share with anyone. It was like a diary and a digital scrapbook.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you felt the chance to grow, learn, and explore the blank canvas. Identifying what you need to know and recognizing the resources available to design the blog aligns with the characteristics of the self-directed learner that Knowles describes (Bierema et al., 2025). The great part about being a self-directed learner is that since you are in charge, you get to decide if you are doing it right, and you get to make the changes.
Reference
Bierema, L., Fedeli, M. & Merriam, S. (2025). Adult Learning, Linking Theory and Practice (2nd ed). Jossey-Bass.
Hello Rboyd,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this — I enjoyed your description of your friends’ blogs. The examples show that blogging can have very different purposes based on the writer’s intent. One functions as a real-time journal of daily events, while the other provides a private space for reflection, like a digital scrapbook of thoughts and moments. This dual purpose aligns with what Celdrán et al. (2022) noted: blogging can facilitate both personal expression and cognitive engagement, whether the audience is public or nonexistent.
I also found a link to your reflection on self-directed learning. When you mentioned identifying what I need to learn and finding available resources, it reminded me of Grow’s (1991) Staged Self-Directed Learning model. This model shows how learners progress from dependence to independence, with blogging serving as a platform where this journey is visible. You’re right—the empowering aspect is that we define what “doing it right” means. The blank canvas becomes a space to experiment with new ideas, make adjustments, and redesign without waiting for external approval.
Blogging has served as a reflective practice for me. As Bush et al. (2019) observe, when adults record their experiences, they often develop greater awareness, broaden their perspectives, and feel more connected. I encountered these benefits through this blog—merging exploration, vulnerability, and personal growth. In my EDACE 875 Program Evaluation, we had to maintain a journal to reflect on weekly readings.
Thanks again for your comment. It offered a fresh perspective on my experience through the lens of adult learning theory, which I hadn’t fully articulated before.
References
Bush, S. A., Seibel, M. M., Corkins, C. R., & Elliott‑Engel, J. (2019). Evaluating the Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results (VALOR) program: Blogs as a reflection process. Journal of Agricultural Education, 60(1), 268–282. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2019.01268 (doi.org in Bing)
Celdrán, M., Serrat, R., Villar, F., & Montserrat, R. (2022). Exploring the benefits of proactive participation among adults and older people by writing blogs. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 65(3), 320–336. https://doi.org/10.1080/01634372.2021.1965688 (doi.org in Bing)
Grow, G. O. (1991). Teaching learners to be self‑directed. Adult Education Quarterly, 41(3), 125–149.