In this week, we learn about evaluating the content of our own and our course mates’ blog. After developing our own blog, we wanted to know if we are on the right track. Having spending a considerable amount of time on our own blog, we may not see what someone else may see because we are too deep into it. Mistakes and shortcomings may slip pass our sight because we have seen our own blog for a numerous times that it has began to look like something ‘normal’ or ‘right and not out of place. This is where peer evaluation comes in.

To help evaluate our peers’ blog objectively, we have developed a checklist. This checklist which includes the pages, categories of post and links, postings and cosmetics will be used when visiting the blog of our peers. We will go through the list and give compliments and constructive comments when necessary to help our peers make amendment to the blog.

By seeing the work of other, we get to reflect and look at our own work too. For example, I learnt from my friends that I do not include enough links which can be relevant to my posts and can help readers to gain more information on the topic. Realising this, I was able to go back to the post and make necessary changes. This has helped me to make my blog better apart from gaining new skills and knowledge such as learning how to embed a link in a post.

Apart from that, I’ve also learnt to be more considerate and effective in giving comments. For example, I tried to be balanced when leaving comments by showing respect in my peers work through stressing the parts done right as much as the parts which needs improvement. This is because my peers may have spend a considerably large amount of time and effort in the blog, so criticising without highlighting the good parts may lead to discouragement to my peers. Secondly, I also learnt to be constructive when giving comment. I did this by suggesting solutions and alternative to the problems instead of just merely pointing them out.

To conclude, I think the journey throughout setting up this blog till completion is an educational and interesting adventure. Like all adventures, it comes with struggles, frustration, dedication and obstruction but what has been learnt throughout the journey is fruitful and rewarding. I am glad that I have completed this blog (hopefully) and kudos to all of you who did it too! =)