What are the benefits of using a discussion board?

Discussion boards can be used in many ways, but some principle advantages exist however you use them. The main benefit of asynchronous (not real time) communication is that you can join and read forums at any time convenient to you, catching up with messages already posted. You can reply at once, or go away and think about your answer before coming back to reply; or indeed, as in a real discussion, you can simply listen without contributing at all. Discussion boards are generally archived, so you can print a particularly interesting or relevant discussion, equally you can return to it at a later point when further contributions may have been made.

Discussion boards can be seen as impersonal, with no face-to-face interaction, however the level playing field they create allows shyer students to contribute as equally as more dominant personalities in the classroom. Should it prove necessary, individual users can be temporarily ‘blocked’ from posting to allow others to have their say. Additional features, such as enabling ‘anonymous’ posting, ensure that ‘stupid’ questions can be asked with impunity.

One of the fundamental outcomes found by the law school at Durham in its use of discussion boards is the preparedness of participants to collaborate – not something expected of traditionally competitive students – see below for an example of a peer help.

Example message offering peer help

Last Modified: 4 June 2010