Abstract:

The article is aimed at the investigation of practices and strategies of implementing weblogs in the post-graduate learning by comparing experiences in Ukraine and Turkey.
The paper is based on the analyses of the current research on implementing weblogs in learning, discriminating best teaching experiences and challenges the learners face dealing with weblogs for learning purposes. Taking into account considerable achievements in the world’s teaching practice with the use of weblogs, the objective of the research is to examine the status of weblogs in educational practice of Ukraine and Turkey.
As it is acknowledged that learning processes are in most cases predominated by socio-cultural peculiarities of the learning community, therefore the current study is purposed to find out how post-graduate learners of Ukraine and Turkey use weblogs in their activities, to analyze their strategies in their weblogging for learning, to study their attitudes and perceptions on such teaching and learning technology.
To achieve the aim of the research the following objectives were put forward: (a) to analyze recent publications concerning weblogs in learning; (b) to discriminate main tendencies and strategies of implementing and practicing webloging in different higher education learning environments; (c) to analyze the existing practices of implementing weblogs by the Ukrainian and Turkish post-graduate students in order to find out differences and commonalities in their activities; (d) to discriminate social, psychological and other issues which influence upon the strategies of using weblogs in learning and / or one’s personal life; (e) to suggest recommendations on effective implementation of weblogs in learning.
The aim and objectives of the research were achieved by the following methods: scientific publication analysis, analysis of the experts’ teaching experience in webloging; interview (in-service teachers which are experienced in using weblogs in learning, post-graduate students using weblogs in their everyday life and learning); learning experiment (teaching English for Academic Purposes with Blogger); observation and self-observation (learning and teaching processes were observed as well as the participants’ behavior in the virtual space); data analysis (answers to questionnaires and interviews were processed and analyzed); evaluation and self-evaluation (learning outcomes and teaching practices were evaluated, method of introspection and self-evaluation in teaching and experience of the virtual communication was implemented as well).
The achievement of the aims and objectives of the research will help to define issues which determine strategies of using weblogs in learning and research or personal life and suggest recommendations to its effective implementation in learning.

Keywords:

Weblog, social media, learning, post-graduate students.