Sense of community, peer feedback and course engagement as predictors of learning in blog environments

Abstract

Blogs have the potential to improve in-depth thinking, reflection, interaction and sense of community in higher education settings. Although the effectiveness of blogging on performance and thinking skills, student interaction and collaboration have been investigated by many educators, the number of studies on what influences learning in blog-based learning environments is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sense of community, perception of peer feedback, course engagement and learning in a blog-based learning environment. A relational study was adopted, and 170 university students participated in this study. The data of the study were collected through an online questionnaire that measures students’ sense of community, peer feedback, course engagement, and perceived learning. In order to analyze the data, correlation and multiple regression tests were applied, as well as mean and standard deviation. At the end of the study, it was found that students’ perceived learning, sense of community, peer feedback perceptions and course engagement were at a high level. In addition, the results of this study showed that in blog environments, students’ sense of community, peer feedback perception and course engagement were significant predictors of their learning. The study findings have implications for both teachers and students and can be used as a framework to help the successful use of educational blogs.