The Use of Discussion Boards:

I feel that discussion boards are great when used within the right context. For example, I have used discussion boards on a number of occasions related to technical problems and health conditions. In these contexts I found them very useful.

For example, I was having problems with wireless networking in my house and I could view discussion boards (via google search) whereby people had posted similar problems and others had offered their advice on how to fix the problem. In the context of health problems , having just been diagnosed with a chronic disease, I can use discussion boards to talk with others who have the same condition and discuss common experiences. I find this an almost therapautic exercise because I don't come up against the same stupid comments that get made by my friends when i tell them what i have been diagnosed with ie. they don't say 'don't worry, you'll be better soon'!! Something which drives me up the wall!!...

In the rather superficial context of discussing graphs however, I do not find discussion boards terribly useful, indeed it is all rather contrived! Certainly, unless discussing a topic that is close to my heart , so to speak, or something that will directly help me or interests me, I find the whole thing rather dull.

From my experiences I can see that discussion boards are useful; otherwise they would not be in such widespread use! However, it would be important when employing them within school, to use them in an interesting context. For example, the class I am placed with at the moment are studying space and part of the topic involves designing a spaceship and making a control panel. They are so very enthused about the whole thing that I am quite sure that they would happily discuss the progress they are making on their space ships via a discussion board to other children... especially if they got to use their space cadet names! Or even if not discussing with other children they could post questions to the Captain of the main ship (ie. myself or my class teacher mentor).