Here is the page of blogs from MIT students doing research all over the world during Independent Activity Period in January:
http://web.mit.edu.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/newsoffice/topic/iap.html 
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US academic conference on Web 2.0 debates value of blogs and SL for higher education collaboration and research: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/05/09/blogs