1. Using a Blog to Enhance Business Students’ Writing Experience: An Assessment of Effectiveness by Marie E. Flatley, Ph.D. Information and Decision Systems January 10, 2006

2. Assignment  Read the book Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: The Bullfighter’s Guide by Brian Fugere, Chelsea Hardaway, Jon Warshawsky.  Post narrative summaries of chapters as assigned and by specific dates.  Comment on assigned posts and any others as desired.

3. Goals  Primary Goal: To integrate a blog with a current assignment in order to improve students’ writing skills by giving them a “real” audience.  Secondary Goal: To give students a hands-on professional writing experience using a technology they are likely to encounter after they graduate.

4. Evaluation  Postings and comments were graded on planning, development, and mechanics.  A rubric based on these criteria was posted on the class Blackboard site.

5. Evaluation: Blog Grading Rubric

6. Assessments  Students: Respond to a confidential survey within two weeks of completing the blog assignment. Students not only recommended continuing the assignment but were positive on all important aspects.  Instructor: Report on perceived effectiveness of assignment in meeting goals. Blog technology effectively expanded the audience, demonstrating that in addition to being an effective tool for collaborating it can also be an effective teaching tool.

7. Student Assessment: How would you rate the Blogging for Bull assignment on the following aspects: Low High

8. Student Assessment: How do you think the following factors influenced your overall evaluation of this assignment? Low High

9. Student Assessment: Please rank the order of interest to you of the following subject matter for future blogging assignments. High Rank Low Rank

10. Instructor Assessment: Perceptions of effectiveness in meeting goals  Primary goal: Student writing was much more professional when posted compared with previous instructor-only audience. Some even demonstrated they could integrate other knowledge and material.  Secondary goal: Students reported high overall satisfaction with both the assignment and the technology.