Learning Technologies Staff Help and Support

The 'Blog' tool can be used to create individual blogs and course blogs (shared by a cohort or by a specific group of students). 

These blogs can be part of a summative or formative exercise, and can be set to be private (only visible to the student and the tutor), open to fellow students, or open to everyone on the Internet. 

How to Set Up Group Blogs

Group blogs can be set up informally, by creating and naming separate blogs (eg Group A blog etc) and by selecting No, blog together or in groups in the settings for 'Individual blogs'. The tutor can then tell the students which group and blog to use. 

Alternatively, blogs can be set up so that only pre-defined students will be able to access the blog-this is useful if there is a requirement for the work assigned and communications that take place within it to remain private. The steps below outline how to set up a group blog with restricted access but for help with this, don't hesitate to contact ltu@solent.ac.uk. 

STEP 1: First, students will need to be put into student groups on SOL. This page explains how to create groups. 

STEP 2: In SOL, from 'Add an activity or resource' select 'Blog' from the 'Activities' options. Then, in the settings for 'Individual blogs', select the option No, blog together or in groups as in the screenshot below:

STEP 3: In the settings, select Add restriction in the Restrict Access section:

  The option for Group will then need to be selected:

The group of students who can access this blog then need to be selected from the 'Group' drop-down followed by clicking Add restriction:

STEP 4: Click Save and return to course.

For more information, see docs.moodle.org - OU Blog.