Blog as a teaching and learning media

Blogging activities have been around since pre-history. At that time humans began to be able to read the writing and express it by sculpting writing and pictures on the walls of the cave. The images and writings made are intended as a medium of communication. Of course, only those who lived at that time knew its meaning and meaning.

Blogging continues to grow over time. In modern times today, activities such as ancient humans can be observed through acts of vandalism of some young children. Just like early humans who used cave walls as a medium, while vandalism uses neighboring walls as a place of self-expression. But actions like this are not exemplary. Not the praise obtained even the curse of neighbors whose walls are scribbled.

The space of self-expression begins to change as technology evolves. Modern humans are starting to use social media as a place to communicate and pour creativity. One of them is a blog. Blogs that originally appeared in 1994 only as a place to accommodate personal records began to develop with a variety of functions and benefits. Blogs, for example, began to be used as a teaching medium in lectures.

Covid-19 pandemic has prompted the campus condition to reorganize the teaching and learning process. Lecture activities are highly dependent on the presence of digital technology. Before the pandemic, campus communities were less intense in using blogs as a learning medium. During the pandemic period either forced or consciously began to be crowded using blogs for the benefit of lectures. Then why do campus residents start glancing at this one digital platform?

Lecturers utilize blogs for the following learning functions:

First, is the repository of academic work. Lecturers can display their portfolio of academic work on the blog. Lecturers are often preoccupied with collecting document files when proposing promotions. Lecturers who do not store files of academic work properly will dizzy seven around when asked to collect supporting documents. Imagine if the files are only stored on a flash or hard drive and one day the storage media is lost or damaged, then the Blog can be used as a repository. At least the blog can function as a backup archive. 

Second, personal branding. A well-made blog can certainly help lecturers improve their self-image. Blogs can be used as a promotion for lecturers. Portfolio and academic track records can be posted on the blog so that the wider community knows the work of the lecturer.

Third, teaching. Blogs are very helpful for lecturers to carry out college activities. Limitations of face-to-face time cause not all lecture material to be delivered. Blogs can be used to upload additional materials, assignments, and even carry out Midterms and Final Exams.

Fourth, research and community service. Following its academic activities, in addition to teaching lecturers must also research and conduct community service activities. Blogs can be utilized in research activities, for example when lecturers want to distribute research instruments in the form of questionnaires. This platform can also be used for community service activities, such as helping to promote small medium entreprises' products through blogs made by lecturers.

Students use blogs for the following purposes:

The first is the task repository. Like lecturers, students can use blogs as repositories, especially to upload lecture assignments. Instead of an archive of college assignments scattered everywhere, it is better to collect them in a blog. Later when you graduate, you can do a historical journey - reminiscing about the days of college with several assignments.

The second is the teaching and learning process. The utilization of blogs in teaching and learning activities on campus began to become a trend. Blogs become a space for teaching and learning interaction between lecturers and their students. Lecturers can upload study materials, while students upload lecture assignments. Currently, some blog templates accommodate learning management systems (LMS) facilities.

The third is looking for extra income. For entrepreneurial students, blogs are a means of getting additional income. When students start to go into business, blogs can be used as a product promotion tool to buy and sell transactions. Students can create an online store on the blog. Students can also monetize blogs by becoming advertising publishers, blog content services, or affiliate marketers of some of the company's products.

The fourth is reading and writing literacy. Blogging is a way to improve the culture of writing among lecturers and students. Students will always be required to do college assignments such as writing papers, fieldwork practice reports, and ultimately thesis, thesis, or dissertation. All of them demand the ability to write students. Well, blogs are a place to hone writing skills, as well as reading. Actively writing on the blog is the capital for the smooth completion of college assignments.

That's a positive benefit of blogging. In the hands of the right blogger, a blog will benefit a wide audience. Conversely, negative beneficial blogs when created and managed by a handful of badly crafted people.