Blog Example #1

I came across this article "Blogs vs. Term Papers" by Matt Ritchel in the New York Times. Ritchel is addressing the worst part of college: writing term papers. He says for many people, term papers feel like technical exercises that do not allow for much expression or creativity, but he also notes that many professors are starting to rethink the traditional term paper and move towards blogging. This approach has been spearheaded by Dr. Cathy Davidson from Duke University. Students who write blogs tend to write shorter posts more frequently. Ritchel mentions that some benefits of blogging are "the immediacy of an audience, a feeling of relevancy, instant feedback from classmates or readers, and a practical connection to contemporary communication," and that blogs are now being used in all levels of education.

I'm somewhat torn about this issue. I like blogs because they are generally freer than term papers. Most of the time term papers come with a lengthy assignment description, and there is a specific formula the instructor wants students to follow in order to get an A. Blogs encourage independent thinking, asking questions, and are generally more relevant to student interests. Plus having other students respond to blog posts opens up more of a dialogue; instead of just writing to a teacher, there is more of an exchange with 20 other people with various backgrounds. At the same time, I also recognize the benefits of a traditional term paper. In upper level classes or future careers, students will be expected to write critically and at length about a specific topic. It's hard to write a 25+ page paper if a writer has never attempted a 10 page paper because writing long pieces requires an extended thought process, which like most skills requires practice. I think teachers shouldn't eliminate term paper, but they should also include more blogging opportunities.

If you want to check out Dr. Davidson's rebuttal to the article, check it out here. She claims she was misquoted and gives a more in-depth explanation of her position.

What do you think about this issue? Would you rather write weekly blog posts, and why? What are some of the positives or negatives about using either blogs or term papers?