Online Discussion

Discussion boards provide a tool that allow groups of people to communicate online. They work in a similar way to email, but anyone in the group can read your messages. The terms discussion board and discussion group are often used interchangeably, although technically the board is the software that allows the group (the users) to communicate.

WebBoard is the online discussion software integrated into the VLP. It may be worth considering some examples of how WebBoard can be used in Learning & Teaching before going on to look at the technical aspects of using it further below. The following are some of the reasons you may wish to use an online discussion forum such as WebBoard:

• Using a Constructivist approach to learning - Communities of Practice (Experts & Novices)
• Peer review & evaluation
• Collaborative & group projects
• Taking class discussions outside the classroom (Asynchronous discussions)
• Tutor Moderated discussions
• Self-reflective writing
• Informal class discussion for group motivation

For further information about the potential benefits of online discussion, read Why use Online Discussion? (PDF 1MB)

Other documents you may wish to read:

• Achieving Online Discussion (PDF 100kb) on Academy Subject Centre for History, Classics & Archaeology, courtesy of Sonja Cameron (University of Glasgow), and the Higher Educati
• VLP Support - includes instructions for using WebBoard

Alternatively you may want to consider using a more collaborative or reflective tool with your students.