adapting, creating,contributing and connecting

NEWS FLASH Collaborative learning is different to collective learning. I am working in a blended fashion with degree students helping them to create blogs  to solve problems and share informal links to complete formal education tasks . The first year child studies are excellent at keeping them going so far.They are using their collections to discuss and comment on an authentic task (the module) and social problems (getting finances and enrolments sorted).The work they do  is a good example of when openness helps students to create knowledge .In the groups the blogs are only available within the institution not truly open on the whole net. The good stuff cannot be added to by communities across the world so this limits the debate. The trouble with setting the blogs in an open world would add to concerns from students about being public ,on show.Not every student wants to connect. not every student wants to consume so much knowledge ,so much reading ,so much contributing and so many actions towards collective learning . It is considered by some so much easier to read a book and create their own project. Finding , consuming and creating takes so much time so some have to be convinced to blog and some will never accept blogging as a tool.Having said that all visit and read other's blogs not wishing to be left in the dark about the conversations.
Tutors have to browse through blog posts and to encourage this there needs to be encouragement and incentives. Tutors are also busy people and i find i am not joined by other staff.some students wonder why write them if the tutor does not read them but i suggest tutors do not have to be the audience .In the blogs there is always recognition for a prolific blogger as other students like to follow them and they get a "readership" a good following.