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The term blog is derived from the term weblog (web log). Originally designed as online diaries, they have become, over the past several years, much more than that. Although a personal blog may still fill that function, blogs have become much more, with topical and group blogs in rich abundance.
Blogs are based upon RSS technology, which is one of the reasons they are such powerful communication devices. Essentially, when a blogger places a new entry of his/her blog, the associated RSS feed syndicates that new entry to all those around the Internet who have subscribed their RSS readers to the blog. Subscribers can look at the entry without having had to go to a website or otherwise make any effort to obtain the content of the posting. It is automatically delivered to their reader where they can view it.
Blogs can either be set up on local servers or they can be hosted by web providers. Most web-based blog hosting is free, but you typically won't have as much control over the blog as you will if you set the software up on your own server.
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I typically like to create a single blog for a whole class to share. This way there is only one RSS feed that students need to subscribe to in order to stay current with the blog. This is where a server-based blog is best because you have control over multiple users and user accounts. Most web-based blogs are designed to be individual blogs and are not designed with multi-user capabilities. You could still use them for a whole class if you gave all class members the same username and allowed them access. In that case it helps if you instruct them to individually sign all of their posts so classmates will know who posted what. On a server-based blog, that can be automated, since each student is given their own, unique account. On server-based class blogs, each student also has the capability to edit their own posts and control their own accounts.
I use a server-based blog and use WordPress as the software. WordPress is open-source and does not cost to use. It will run on any Linux or Windows server that has php installed. Php is a server-side scripting language in which WordPress is written. You will also need to have the MySQL database installed on your server, as that is what WordPress uses to catalog posts.
I ask each student to make contributions to the blog. The blog for each course is topically restricted to the subject matter of the course, but there is generally quite a bit of flexibility there. Since blogs were originally designed as diaries, they work well for op-ed types of entries. I encourage students to express their opinions on the blog on subjects that relate to the course. I also ask them to comment on news items that may arise during the semester that are related somehow to our course.
Since the blog is web-based (on an Internet-accessible server), students can access it from anywhere on the Internet and can edit and post from any Internet connected browser. If you wanted to restrict this, you could restrict it by simply placing your server behind your firewall where it is not Internet-accessible. Then students would have to be on campus to access it. That provides greater security but less flexibility.
Blogs bolster learning communities by making it possible for students to exchange opinions, news items, web links, and other ideas by simply posting. I require all students to subscribe their RSS readers to the blog for the course and to keep up with the posts that are placed there.
Sample course blog (this is a real blog for one of my courses)