Discussion Boards

Discussion Boards Defined:

A discussion board is a rather simple concept.  It is a place where a person can post a message for others to read and for others to post their own message, either in response to another message or in creating an original one.  In other words, a community of users "talk" to each other at a time that is convenient to each user.  These talks are started by a person, usually a moderator, who posts first, often with a question.

1. Students can be engaged in "discussions" on important topics.  But you can engage the students outside of class time.  2. A discussion assigned as homework can be used as a springboard for in class discussions.  3. You can very easily include a link to an article that you want your students to read before posting a response.  4. Ask students to post journal entries or thoughts to your message board.  5. Grading is so simple and convenient; do it from any computer. 6. You will always have a record of your students' work, with a time stamp. 7. Many message boards have an email feature so that you can email everyone in your community with just one email. 8. Students tend to be more engaged in class when outside assignments, such as posting to a message board, require some thought.

Educational Applications: