Is blogging the same as discussion board activity? Discuss the differences.
Blogs and discussion boards are similar in that they are both on the internet and are places where students can go to collaborate with one another. They are used to post and express one's knowledge, thoughts or ideas on a particular subject. Discussion boards are located on a controlled server, i.e., the college's blackboard interface, and allows for asynchronous discussion to occur on a particular topic usually provided by the instructor. Blogs, however, are located on the open-web where anyone can access them. A blog is a frequently updated Web site characterized by a reverse chronological listing of entries that can be searched, archived, and categorized according to labels, called tags, assigned by the author (King & Cox, 2011). The ability to embed hyperlinks on blogs are a prominent feature.
Blogs entries can only be initiated by the author while discussion boards differ a little as anyone of the students with access to the board can initiate a thread. Blogs tend to be more personal as discussion threads can be seen as formal, in comparison. By personal I mean, people using blogs are more apt to linking their personal experience to whatever the discussion topic may be. Learning communities are formed in this type of learning environment. Clarke and Kinne’s (2012) research indicates that threaded discussions are missing the element of community amongst its participants, resulting in decreased perception of engagement and empowerment.
The online learning environment can offer educators new opportunities for adapting learning and teaching, and offers students a richer learning experience (Matheson, Wilkinson, & Gilhooly, 2012). The key is finding the right mix and implementing/introducing it in a way that encourages positive interaction/participation.
Clarke, L, & Kinne, L. (2012). Asynchronous discussions as threaded discussions or blogs. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 29, 4-13.
King, K. P., & Cox, T. D. (Eds.). (2011). The professor's guide to taming technology: Leveraging digital media, Web 2.0, and more for learning. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Matheson, R., Wilkinson, S., & Gilhooly, E. (2012). Promoting critical thinking and collaborative working through assessment: combining patchwork text and online discussion boards. Innovations In Education & Teaching International, 49(3), 257-267
Danella,
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about blogs being personal, and I think this may be the attraction for some people. Bloggers have the opportunity to make the blog theirs. I was not so sure about using a blog at first because this is also my first experience with it, but so far I like it. In my opinion, it is a great learning tool that allows the writer to be reflective in his/her writing. According to Foster (2015), “thoughtfully reflecting on new information enables learners to make connections between disparate ideas in assigned materials, consider the resonance of abstract concepts with the real world, and reconstitute new information on their own terms and in their own language” (p. 104). I think we are doing as Foster stated by making connections with what we are studying with our experiences and then sharing that information with our classmates in a facilitative learning environment.
Reference:
Foster, D. (2015). Private journals versus public blogs: The impact of peer readership on low-stakes reflective writing. Teaching Sociology, 43(2), 104-114.
This blog provides me with a well articulated list of differences between blogs and discussion board activities. Thanks. One thing that I learned from your blog is that it allows for one to embed a hyperlink. I did not know that. I am a technology “newby”, and don’t try too much, but this is something that I will try to incorporate in my next blog entry. It is however curious to me that learning management systems are not designed to allow for participants to place hyperlinks in discussion boards. I presume it is as you said “a more formal” system than blogs.
ReplyDeleteDanella,
ReplyDeleteI think one thing to add to blogs being more personal is expressed in King and Cox when they suggest that adult learners want to be more self-directed in their learning. They want to make their learning apply to where they are in life so it is relevant to them (2011, p. 91). Blogs definitely allow learners to go where they want with the content which personalizes their learning. I think that makes a huge difference in blogging in comparison to discussion boards and can help explain why Clarke and Kinne's research shows a less engaged and empowered student in discussion boards.
-DeAnna