computer drone

A carpenter has/uses/needs many tools to build a house. The choice is a personal one, made with consideration of the skill and knowledge of the builder, and the task at hand. A hammer alone is not sufficient. A hammer is not interchangeable with a screwdriver. It’s not an either/or proposition. What’s the purpose?

So… why would one feel the need to debate the merits or qualities or liabilities of a discussion board vs. a blog. Why the vs? That implies a competition, and the expectations that one will emerge a victor and the other a loser.

I almost see this as a process… the discussion board as the training wheels for the successful use of a blog. In a discussion board, there is usually more structure; most often it is teacher-driven. The student has the opportunity to research topics, share with classmates, learn from eachother, and eventually come up with a credible response. The structure imposed can be time, content, or format. Some students need those training wheels to develop important habits and skills… and thus, the discussion board becomes a stepping stone towards becoming comfortable in such an environment.

IMHO… both are valuable. Both have assets and both have liabilities. Both can be motivating tools in the hand of an instructor (or a student) and both can be a frustrating and unrewarding waste of time in these same hands. Life (and education is a part of life) is what you make of it. The successful use of any tool depends on the user and the answer to the question, “What’s the purpose?”