What are discussion boards?

Discussion boards are what teachers seem to rely on more and more to help keep the discussion going between students, but there seems to be no real discussion between student and teacher in these discussion boards.  I’ve been going to an local college to get my local certifications for a better job.   I’ve been doing these classes for several months now and still I get the idea that most instructors seem to want to use with their students in an online learning way.   I am sure the instructors are trying to use them good.  I’ve seen some instructors who did that and are really good at wanting to create a good discussion about a really good topic but that just seems to be far and in between for others.

Are discussion boards helpful?

This is the real question for some people because we have those students who really just don’t know how to use discussion boards.   We have the introverts and extraverts and those who are a little bit of both but I’ve found something really interesting with at least me.  I have always have been an introvert and I’ve been thriving on these boards.   I guess the problem with students is the real fact that they don’t know how to use the boards properly or have that same passion that I do with words.   The real problem is that it just really creates more work for students and I really don’t know if it is helping or just making busy work for students.   It could even be a waste of time for some students because they might know more than most about a subject and it could very well potentially scare the new students from making any comments on the discussion boards.

Do students expect anything from Discussion boards?

I have always wondered what students really expect from discussions boards.  The expectations from instructors can be a lot for new students and those who have never done any blogging or writing in their life.   This can create a real challenge for them, I suspect because they aren’t this type of a learner but more of a visual learner.   It may even be a way to check on students to make sure they maybe learning on their online classes.   I can’t really know why instructors expect so much from students but I can’t really blame them for it.

Do discussion boards look for plagiarism?

Sometimes I wonder if they are really checking for plagiarism.   I’m not really sure what it is checking for or if it actually does check for it because I’ve copied stuff from the discussion board onto my website because I thought I would share it with the world also.   I haven’t seen anything from my teachers saying I shouldn’t be copying to my website but who knows.   I am just saying if they are, the teachers haven’t said a word to me.   It could be that since I wrote the articles that I am not plagiarizing my own writings.   I can only guess.

What are the best practices of Discussion boards?

This is something that I am very sure of at least when it comes to me using the discussions boards on canvas .  People need to be considerate of other people’s discussions.  I haven’t had any problems with any students on the discussion boards but I am sure it has happened to someone.   I am also sure the teachers will step in and make sure the students don’t do that but you shouldn’t be that guy.  The are some other etiquettes that you should consider when posting to a discussion board.  Here’s a few other things to consider when posting.  Some things you should say in a reply are:

• Don’t be that guy that just says “Hey good post” or “That’s an awesome post”
• Make the reply something that you would say in person.
• Find something that makes you change your thoughts on the subject
• Consider if the person doesn’t know much about discussion boards
• encourage the writer/reader by saying something good about the post.

More about Discussion boards

I thought it would be interesting to at least link to other blogs or discussions about the discussion boards.  I am sure it might be interesting to at least check out what other’s have said about discussion boards and consider how useful they might be in your current situations.

• Discussion Boards: Valuable? Overused? Discuss by Inside Higher Ed
• Making Good use of Discussion boards by Cross Academy

These are just a few that I found that might be helpful to those who might want to know more about the subject.   I am curious to know what people think about the discussion boards?  Do you like them or hate them or do you think it is useful?   I want to hear what you think by leaving a comment and talk about your experiences on the subject.