Social Media Discussion Boards
Author: Ashley Y. Grays; info@ciddl.org
Providing a course in an online format allows more accessibility to higher education for those who may not be able to attend courses on campus. However, asynchronous online classes lose the social benefits gained from being in a classroom such as engaging in academic discourse. To allow for social interaction and academic conversations between students, many classes utilize an asynchronous discussion board. While online discussion boards are common, this style of discussion is not effective for all teacher candidates (Carr, 2020). Preservice teachers prefer more engaging methods of discussion such as Flipgrid, BookSnaps, and video responses (Carr, 2020). Perhaps we can increase engagement by offering alternative ways to engage in discussion.
BookSnaps
Booksnaps is an idea founded by an educator looking to use the Snapchat app to provide a visual representation and share reflections about a book or text. It is a creative method of using a common application for educational purposes. What started as #BookSnaps has evolved to include more academic topics such as #mathsnaps and #labsnaps that allow students to demonstrate their comprehension and reflections on various topics in a way that is familiar and interesting to most students.
TikTok
TikTok is a social media platform that has changed how information is shared. Over 1 billion users monthly use the platform. From recipes to travel tips, the platform is used to connect users to the lives of others around the world. More importantly, information and data are shared and have the capability to go viral and influence vast amounts of people. How can we use this application to support learning and the dissemination of information?
TikTok Style Discussion Board
TikTok videos are typically brief snippets of information with a maximum duration of 10 minutes. Students can create short videos about the module topics that include citations and sources. The duality of using this method is increased engagement while also addressing how misinformation is spread on social media platforms and the dangers involved. Utilizing this common platform to spread more reliable information would be an additional benefit to allowing this style of video to be posted on discussion boards.
Keep the Conversation Going
How do you differentiate your discussion boards? What practices have you implemented that increase the quality of participation? Join the CIDDL community and keep the conversation going!
Reference:
Carr, J. (2020). Teacher candidate perceptions on alternative asynchronous online discussion boards. Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 3(3), 288-310.