Discussion Boards and Groups
Discussion boards can be used effectively in the classroom to offer students peer support or tutoring when needed. They are a safe place where students can go to ask their peers for help when they do not understand a concept, a skill, or need clarification both inside and outside the classroom.
By setting a few expectations or “rules” of conduct, discussion boards have been proven to be an effective support tool for struggling and at-risk students. Many students feel more comfortable asking a peer for help or advice rather than an adult. Discussion boards lower this anxiety or shyness a student feels and allows them to reach out to their peers when they need help. Any student who is a member of his or her class can step in and help.
Discussion boards can also be used strategically when studying. Students can help each other on their homework questions and problems, and create study groups for exams. Students can also use them to “catch up” on lessons or information they may have missed if they were absent.
Simple discussion boards can be creating a web page with a blog format or using an “announcement” page, such as in Google Sites, to create a blog page. Students can post questions to the blog, and their peers can respond by posting their responses. This can be set up as a class blog, or groups or teams of students can create their own blog, on their own webpage or website, and the educator can add these links to a class website.