Worldware 3: Electronic Discussion Groups

Discussion software simulates a conversation. Each contribution is labeled with the name of the contributor, and the date the posting was made. After reading a posting, one needs only to click a "reply" button to generate a response, which appears just below the original. The result reads very much like a conversation, or the script of a play.

BlackBoard is the preferred method of using a discussion group in class. In addition, people who create their own web pages with the FrontPage package can create their own discussion areas as well, if they wish. This requires a bit more effort than the BlackBoard version, however, and has fewer features.

Each class in BlackBoard can have its own discussion group, and the class can be subdivided further into groups of students which can have their own private discussions not viewed by the rest of the class. Within the discussion group, any number of topics can be spontaneously created, each of which contains a discussion. Topics can be added at any point, often depending upon the direction that ongoing discussions take.

It has been said that contributions to on-line discussion groups are more thoughtful than class discussions, but more lively and animated than regular writing assignments. Another major attraction of these on-line discussion groups is that they require nothing more than a web browser, like Internet Explorer, to use. Consequently, on-line discussion groups are among the easiest technologies to implement in a class.

Some faculty base part of their students' grades on the quality of their submissions to the on-line discussion. Others leave participation as an optional component. Direct moderation is a hallmark of some classes. Other instructors leave the students to run on-line discussions without any interference.

When is on-line discussion software appropriate?

• When free discussion is central
• When more discussion topics need to be pursued than can be accommodated in class
• When you wish to escape the constraints of needed a fixed class time and fixed meeting space for discussion
• When you wish to include others from off campus (ex., experts, alums, foreign language pen pals, etc.) in class discussions

On-line discussions can also be used by faculty committees, student groups, and other functions that require either a public or private forum.

BlackBoard's "front door" is at this address: http://blackboard.trincoll.edu or http://bb.trincoll.edu

When prompted, give your Blackboard username and password. If you have any questions, or to request that a course site be created, speak to your Resource Specialist.

Blackboard has also provided a tip sheet on "8 Ways to Get Students More Engaged in Online Conferences" at http://resources.blackboard.com/scholar/general/pages/ictraining/Eight_Ways_Engage_Conferences.pdf you may also find helpful.

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