Reaching Unique Voices
When we talk about blogging, we should define what a blog is. According to Hubspot, "A blog is an individual web page on your website that dives into a particular sub-topic of your blog" (2023). A blog is frequently updated, written creatively, connects to the community, and evaluates an educational experience (Sull & Clements, n.d.). The blog writes to a targeted topic for a targeted audience, so why can't that audience be learners in your classroom or workplace?
Globally, blogging has become a significant part of many jobs, occupations, and self-employment forms within the creative industries economy, representing an emerging form of global labor (Parry& Hracs, 2020). This form of outreach could be used formally as an educational tool for any learner. As instructional designers, we use model frameworks to determine the best material for our learners, the best performance steps, and KPIs (key performance indicators). In a workplace, the learners are a diverse group of individuals who are either remote or hybrid, work in different time zones, and have different production schedules. A blog could provide opportunities to develop connections, occupational news, skill development, and even client topics to improve motivation to work in the organization (Bizzi, 2020). For classroom teaching, instructors can reinforce components of the course. In both environments, students and employees can continually refer to the blog, interact with it, and develop proactive behaviors (Grant & Ashford, 2008).
A key aspect of blog writing is remembering that the tone should be written in a more natural style that everyday people use to communicate( Sull et al.). In the workplace, policies on risk with hurtful engagement, confidential protection, and decreased production should be implemented, similar to what companies like Adidas, Coca-Cola, and Dell have done (Bizzi, 2020). Policies like this should be put in place for social classroom etiquette. If using a public website creates too much risk, organizations like Microsoft Teams should use a Web 2.0 tool within internal controls.
References
Bizzi, L. (2020). Should HR managers allow employees to use social media at work? Behavioral and motivational outcomes of employee blogging. The International Journal of Human Resources Management, 31(10), 1285–1312. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1402359
Forsey, C. (2019). What Is a Blog, & Why Should You Create One? Hubspot.com. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-a-blog
Grant, A. M., & Ashford, S. J. (2008). The dynamics of proactivity at work. Research in Organizational Behavior, 28, 3–34.
Parry, J., & Hracs, B. J. (2020). From leisure to labor: Towards a typology of the motivations, structures, and experiences of work‐related blogging. New Technology, Work & Employment, 35(3), 314–335. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12179
Sull, E., & Clements, K. (n.d.). I APPROOFS© 2022. Blogging as a Teaching Tool Ideal for the Online Environment of Any Course!