Blogs and Journals Overview

A blog is an online journal that can include links to resources, multimedia as well as test in its entries.  Each student’s blog can be viewed and commented on by other course members.

Blogs can be used to allow students to reflect on learning experiences or activities.  They can also be used to allow students to share opinions and resources.

Blogs can be setup for individual students, the course as a whole or for groups of students.

There are several ways Blogs can be set up which are discussed below.

Individual Blog

Blogs maybe made available to individuals, where a student sees their own entries just like a journal.  In Blackboard, individual blogs can automatically be setup for all course users.  Refer to guide Create an Individual Blog for further information.

Course Blog

Course blogs gives you the option to setup one blog for the course that all students and teaching staff can contribute to.  This is useful when there is a topic to be addressed.  Refer to guide Create a Course Blog for further information.

Group Blog

When setting up groups in Blackboard you have the option to setup tools for each group, including blogs and journals.  All group members can add blog entries and make comments on blog entries.  Refer to guide Create a Group Blog for further information.

A journal is a communication tool that allows students to write entries over a period of time.  A journal entry can include links to resources, multimedia as well as text.  Unlike a blog, journals can only be viewed and commented on by teaching staff, not by other students in the course.

Some common uses for journals can reflections on personal growth throughout semester, document experiences and understanding of material throughout the semester.

Individual Journal

Journals are created by course instructors and can be made public or private.  Private journals allow students to communicate privately with the instructor. 

If you choose to make your journal public this allows all course members to view all entries.  This can be controlled under your journal settings Permit Course Users to View Journal. 

Refer to guide Create an Individual Journal for further information.

Linking to a Blog or Journal in the Course Menu

Once a Blog or Journal has been created, you will need to create a tool link shortcut in the Course Menu in order for students to access it. For step-by-step instructions, refer to the Add a Tool Link guide.