Slides from UCL Arena Exchange Seminar, 14 Jan 2015 Critical thinking and being able to express this in written form is a crucial skill for students in evaluating ideas, applying concepts to real-life situations and solving problems. As a deep approach to learning it is inherently difficult to teach. This seminar will present an approach that enables students to develop their writing and critical thinking skills using blogs as a tool. This is based on experiences from the module ‘Buildings Organisations Networks’(BON) in the MSc Spatial Design: Architecture and Cities at the Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment at UCL, where blogs formed an integral part of the teaching and learning experience as well as the assessment. The seminar will give a brief overview of the approach and then focus on a round table discussion to share questions, views, perspectives and ideas to apply this approach to different teaching practices and settings.

1. Using Blogs as a Teaching Tool Dr Kerstin Sailer, January 2015
USING BLOGS AS A TOOL
TO DEVELOP STUDENTS’ WRITING AND CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS
Dr Kerstin Sailer
Space Syntax Laboratory, Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
UCL ARENA Exchange Seminar | 14 January 2015

2. Using Blogs as a Teaching Tool Dr Kerstin Sailer, January 2015
The Problem
Writing and critical reflection as core skills of many programmes
• Evaluating ideas
• Applying concepts to real-life situations
• Solving Problems
→ Inherently difficult to teach
DEEP
LEARNING
SURFACE
LEARNING

3. Using Blogs as a Teaching Tool Dr Kerstin Sailer, January 2015
Background
MSc Spatial Design: Architecture and Cities (SD:AC) at Bartlett School of Architecture
Leading 15 credit module ‘Buildings Organisations Networks’ (BON): covers relationship
between building layout, organisational cultures, and social dynamics of space usage

4. Using Blogs as a Teaching Tool Dr Kerstin Sailer, January 2015
Buildings Organisations Networks – Module Structure
10 week programme
1 Weekly Lecture
Introduce theories and
case studies, discuss
existing research
Experience a relevant building,
get information from users, see
phenomena first hand, observe
→ ‘Thinking Aloud Discussion’
2 Building Visit 3 Blog Post
Students choose one aspect or
theme and write a blog post (500
words max); anonymous vote of
best contribution of the week

5. Using Blogs as a Teaching Tool Dr Kerstin Sailer, January 2015
Buildings Organisations Networks – Feedback System

6. Using Blogs as a Teaching Tool Dr Kerstin Sailer, January 2015
Student Views
How useful did you find the following teaching methods in enabling you to learn new content
and develop your thinking?

7. Using Blogs as a Teaching Tool Dr Kerstin Sailer, January 2015
Student Views
“I am really impressed with your extensive and well
prepared response. I did not expect so much dedication,
for which I am very grateful.”
“Thank you very much for the mark and
the feedback. I believe this could give
me the spirit to be better next time.”
“The weekly
blogging exercise
forces you to
quickly assimilate
the knowledge and
apply it.”
“I just want to say thank you a lot for your suggestion. You help me not only for your
course but for other courses as well. You gave me many ideas and how to compose
them properly. I haven't finished my work yet (…), but now, at least, I see a way.”

8. Using Blogs as a Teaching Tool Dr Kerstin Sailer, January 2015
My own reflections
• Tangible progress in writing and
critical thinking skills in most
students
• Multiple opportunities for students to
‘get it’
• Turning students into content
producers in an increasingly social
media driven society → tech savvy
• Transferable skills for students;
invite to turn blog into online
portfolio
What works well What doesn’t work so well
• Initial barrier of getting students to
blog
• Students sometimes associate a
blog with subjective commentary
• Heavy student workload, especially
if students interpret task as
something ‘big’
• Heavy teacher workload, possibly
over-assessing
• Peer feedback could be stronger

9. Using Blogs as a Teaching Tool Dr Kerstin Sailer, January 2015
More thoughts and future plans
Privacy issues
Diversifying platforms: twitter, pinterest, wordpress blogs, etc.
More collaborative set up
How to grow student numbers
What do you
want to discuss?

10. Using Blogs as a Teaching Tool Dr Kerstin Sailer, January 2015
Thank you!
k.sailer@ucl.ac.uk
@kerstinsailer
Dr Kerstin Sailer
Lecturer in Complex Buildings
Space Syntax Laboratory
Bartlett School of Architecture
University College London
140 Hampstead Road
London NW1 2BX
United Kingdom