Blogs

Blogs, a blending of the words "web" and "log," are a type of website used for writing articles, journaling and posting images to the Internet in an easy-to-use manner.

At UCO, our blog service is known as Broncho Blogs, and popular uses include departmental marketing, classroom projects and recruitment. Unlike wikis, which are team-oriented and focus on collaboration, blogs are usually directed towards a mass audience and gather feedback through reader comments.

Rich with editing features and enhancements known as "widgets" and "plug-ins", Broncho Blogs make the blogging experience fun and exciting. Enhancements are added regularly, such as the recent update enabling Broncho Bloggers to compose posts directly from most mobile devices, such as BlackBerry and iPhone. Please review the Broncho Blogs guidelines, available here.

Broncho Blogs are available to all UCO Departments, Faculty and Student Organizations. A varied selection of themes are provided with Broncho Blogs; if custom blog themes are needed, please review the theme guidelines.

If you would like to learn more about how Broncho Blogs can enhance your classroom experience, complete this form or contact the UCO Technology Resource Center 405-974-5595, Lillard Administration Building, Room 101.

Wikis

Wiki Central is a free web-based collaborative resource available all UCO Faculty members. By utilizing a Wiki Central "space" (our name for a single wiki) in your classroom, you open the door to new directions in learning, facilitation of teamwork and a new way to monitor learning.

The collaborative workspace offered within Wiki Central has the potential to encourage students to work together, correct and modify each other's works, track the contributions of team members and create a sense of responsibility, community and ownership. With instructor guidance, students could create study guides, sample tests and develop extensive documentation on research papers. Instructors can evaluate students by following their individual contributions and use the wiki to critique writing and communication skills of the class.

Similarly, faculty may wish to request their own private Wiki Central space for scholarly research, collaborative work with peers, peer review and more.

If you would like to learn more about how Wiki Central can benefit your learning environment, complete the Wiki request form or contact the UCO Technology Resource Center 405-974-5595, Lillard Administration Building, Room 101.