It strikes me that the reason for writing a blog which is summed up by the blog category (column b) is not the same as why students or learners read the blog. Paraphrased from Guthrie, Bennett and McGough 2004, ‘Motivations for reading are internalized, enabling the individual to perform acts such as acquiring knowledge, enjoying aesthetic experiences, performing tasks, and participating in social contexts’. They go onto outline the reasons for reading.
- Curiosity, as in the desire to learn about a topic
- Aesthetic involvement, as in the enjoyment of experiencing a literary text
- Challenge, as in the orientation to learning complex ideas from text
- Recognition, as in the gratification in receiving a tangible form of reward for success in reading
- Grades, as in favorable evaluations from a teacher
They further propose that ‘motivations for reading also include: social, processes of constructing and sharing meanings in groups; and compliance, adaptation to an external goal or requirement’. These in particular would appear to hold true within the blogging world.
