Purpose - This paper provide an understanding of the students’ meaning-making processes, as they are part of an e-assessment practice via written blog posting upon their own and their co-students performances presented online through shared video media.
Design/methodology/approach - This research relies on qualitative data to provide an analysis of the students´ use of the educational technology tool called VoiceThread©. This data was provided by collecting Swedish higher education students’ postings and comments in relation to two video clips published in VoiceThread©. The formal learning sequence model by Selander (2008) together with theories on communication and reflection was used in the analysis.
Findings - The data and the analysis show that shared video media and blogging embrace a potential to facilitate communication and reflection among online higher education students. In addition the design of the course seems to strengthen the use of formative e-assessment.
Research limitations/implications - The research reported on in this paper should preferable be followed by additional research on educational technology, social software and e-assessment; informed design of practices of formative e-assessment; and the role of formative e-assessment in the facilitating and enhancement of the students´ learning and meaning-making processes.
Practical implications - This paper provides researched-based ideas of in what way teachers in online higher education can design their courses if wanting to cultivate the students´ communicative and reflective skills.
Originality/value - The paper demonstrates originality and value by providing an important insight into the use of shared video media and blogging in online higher education. Especially the way it can be designed for within a formative e-assessment course approach.