Though discussion boards may have some short comings they seem to have a number of attractive qualities as well. First off through the use of the discussion boards students would become more comfortable with the use of computers and internet technologies, which could be very beneficial. Especially for students who don’t have the internet readily accessible. If they could find a computer at school to work on at the end of the day then they would be able to develop the computer skills they probably wouldn’t be able to at home. In regards to the content on the discussion board, there is the potential of having problems with it but if properly discussed with the class then this problem I think could be avoided. This way the instructor gets the students on board (excuse the pun) with the idea and it could become more of a class run project. The other concern was that this could cause more work for the instructor and well, it will cause more work for the instructor. Online discussion boards might not work for every instructors teaching style and so the work would be detrimental, but for other could be quite beneficial.
Classrooms have traditionally been places that students have found stuffy, uncomfortable and sometimes intimidating. Often in class discussion only a handful of students would be sharing while all the others would sit quietly, be distracting or be daydreaming. But discussion boards could help remedy this. First off with the instructor trying to set up some class guidelines for the discussion board they might talk to the class to help set them up. This might help build a trust between the instructor and the students, which might make students feel more comfortable to cooperate in class. Next the discussion boards could be used as a spring board to introduce new topics. As the students think about the discussion board topic they will start to engage with aspects of the new topic. So when the new topic gets introduced the students are primed with ideas to contribute to the class. Another benefit could be that it might encourage the shier more introverted students in class to share. On the discussion there is no one physically there to make them feel uncomfortable so they will be free to share their thoughts and feelings on the specific topic. As they share online they may become more comfortable sharing and start to contribute in discussions in class, which might open them up to deeper friendships with their classmates. The boards could also provide a means for the students to get to know their instructor better and vice versa.
So with the integration of discussion boards relationships between students and between teachers, and students could improve. Students might feel more comfortable and confident to share. And students would be able to interact with the subject more interactively, through their discussions. Discussion boards have a great potential to benefit the classroom and students, let’s just hope they do.
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