Theme 1: Learning from and with peers
“feels more like a community”
The blog creates a third space. Usually we come to class, we hear presentations or lecture, then we go back home, and we never know our classmates. But the blog created a place for us to really know our classmates, their thoughts, their language, their story. And I think it feels more like a community.
Miley
“like a stepping stone”
It’s kind of like a stepping stone to begin a conversation with people who share the same interests.
Keiren
Other data extracts
You need to write down your words and I’m not good at academic writing as well, so at first I was so worried about that. . . . Then I saw maybe three or four blogs which is very interesting and I suddenly felt that maybe I can share my opinion as well. . . . I grew up in China so I have my personal experiences, and here, maybe people grew up in different areas and they have different feelings about sociolinguistics. . . . It’s not only myself learning this course. For example, right now, I have other courses, but sometimes I have my opinions and I want to listen to others’ opinions as well, but sometimes at the class, they speak very fast and I cannot catch up with them and I cannot raise my questions to them. And also, I have my opinions as well but I’m afraid of speaking out. But the blogging provides a platform for us to share opinions and for us to make interactions with each other. I think this is quite awesome.
Monica
Since I lacked working [teaching] experience, I was particularly curious about what they [classmates] encountered when they were teaching. I learned a lot in others’ blogs, as much as in the classroom.
Survey Respondent
I also think the blog creates a third space. Like usually we come to class, we hear presentations or lecture, then we go back home, and we never know our classmates. But the blog created a place for us to really know our classmates, their thoughts, their language, their story. And I think it feels more like a community, feel more close to others.” Stewart (2016) argued that third space “is a potentially transformative space between the roles of student and teacher, a hybrid space where identities and literacies and practices can actually change on both sides.”
Miley – (italics in original)
Keiren: “[Writing comments] wasn’t about the grade. It was about the space we had created. And because you appreciated the fact that you were getting feedback, you wanted to provide feedback back. It was a kind of give and take.” Miley added, “we are trying to respect others’ work and at the same time, we are looking for others’ feedback.”
Reference
Stewart, B. (2016, March 31). Third spaces and third places – #DigPed PEI. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://theory.cribchronicles.com/2016/03/31/third-places-third- spaces-digped-pei/
