Interactivity or inactivity: a study of blogging in a professional teaching qualification programme for college lecturers

Abstract This study investigates the efficacy of a new blog tool in promoting learning and enabling social interaction and collaboration among participants on an innovative online professional teaching qualification programme for college lecturers. Participants were surveyed and some were interviewed to elicit the perceived influencers on participants’ blog activity and, specifically, the impact of learner characteristics and self-regulated learning skills on participation. The findings highlight the complexity of factors that impact on learner participation on the blog, including learner characteristics, self-efficacy, ICT skills and motives. This has led to a redesign of blog structures to facilitate greater interactivity through collective efficacy.