What we read
The study skills page that follows Unit 6 of Bixby and Scanlon (2013, p. 66) gets us to think about and gives some tips for participating in online discussion boards, such as our class blog. Although you might not have done this before, it is a common part of reading and writing in a modern academic environment. For example, if you were looking for something more challenging to listen to, you might have checked out Harvard University professor Michael Sandel's lecture series Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? In several of his lectures, Sandel refers to the blog to which his students are expected to contribute regularly as a part of their course. And of course, we have been blogging since day one of this class.
I've already given some reasons why we move some of Skillful's discussion exercises to an online discussion board, and on page 66, Bixby and Scanlon's tips fill this out a bit more.
I've already given some reasons why we move some of Skillful's discussion exercises to an online discussion board, and on page 66, Bixby and Scanlon's tips fill this out a bit more.
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What Bixby and Scanlon do
Following her two questions to get us reflecting on our previous experience and preferences, Cottrell suggests six tips to improve our use of blogs and similar tools in an academic context.
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Bixby and Scanlon's questions
Getting started
First, think for a moment about the two "Getting Started" questions on page 66.- Have you ever used an online discussion board? (Yes, you have, at least in this class.) How did you feel about it?
- Would you prefer a class discussion (which we have also done), or an online discussion? Why?
After you have thought about it for a minute, spend a few minutes writing your responses to these two question. Then publish your comment.
Scenario
Read the scenario and think about what Fatima did right and what she might not have done so well.
Consider it
Next, we will read the six tips in the "Consider It" section. As you read, which tips have I asked you to follow? Which have I revised a bit?
Which of the six tips do you think the most useful for you?
Over to you
Finally, think about the last two questions with which Bixby and Scanlon conclude their discussion on participating in online discussion boards.
Create a new comment to share your response.
- Why are academic writing skills important for an online discussion board? For example our discussion of Stephen Law's thesis in "Carving the Roast Beast.
- How do you think an online discussion board might improve your learning in a course?
- This is not one of Bixby and Scanlon's discussion questions, but do you agree with them participating in online discussions is helpful for academic reading and writing?
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Reference
- Bixby, J. & Scanlon, J. (2013). Skillful Reading & Writing: Student's Book 3 (p. 66). London: Macmillan Education
Yes, I have used an online discussion board. I always feel bored when I use it.
ReplyDeleteI prefer a class discussion because I think it's very boring
I don't like it. I want to do it as real so just do a class discussion. please!!!
You have just said that class discussion is very boring. Is that what you meant to say?
DeleteNo, I mean online discussion is boring.
Deletethat's what I thought you probably meant.
Deletewhy you feel bored in online discussion?
DeleteYou already know that I like both online discussions and class discussions. Both are important, especially for a reading and writing class, but also for a speaking and listening class. In a class discussion, you have concentrate on listening to what your classmates say so that you can follow the discussion. This can be challenging even in your native language, and is even more demanding in a second or foreign language. It is also an essential skill in academic situations since class discussion, even in lectures, is normal. Lecturers typically ask students questions, including their responses to comments by classmates.
ReplyDeleteIn an online discussion, you have a bit more time to reflect before you commit your ideas to written words that are published for others to read and respond to in turn.
Since it provides opportunities to practice important reading and writing skills, I prefer online discussion for a reading and writing class, but not to the extent that I would ever eliminate all class discussion. Even in a reading and writing class, we cannot ignore the importance of more spontaneous spoken communication.
I agree with your idea that both kind of discussions are important as they provides different advantages for practicing a person's english skill.
DeleteI regularly used an online discussion board for the purpose of finding something useful to read for my studies and projects. I would prefer an online over class discussion as the online discussion could be help anywhere and anytime. Individuals could reach the discussion depending on their available schedule; whereas, for a class discussion, an actual person is needed to be sitting there in front of each other.
ReplyDeletePim gives another advantage to using online discussion boards: the discussion can take place over time and is not tied to everyone being present in the class.
DeleteYes,I have.I have used the online discussionboard with the online game.I think it confused me because there were a lot of peoplefrom variou country disscuss about each topic and some of them use their own language.Therefore,the communication was not that good.
ReplyDeleteI prefer class discussion because we are all know each oter and we have a real relationship.Moreover,people in the same class uaually are in the same age,use same language or have the similar purpose.So,I don't have to aware of the misunderstanding between us.
Noon makes good points, although since we do know each other, I'm not sure that that applies to our situation or to the usual context of an online discussion for an academic class, where we expect everyone to use the same language, in this case English, and to respond to ideas on a specific topic.
DeleteI agree with you at this point that sometimes online discussion consisting of members speaking various languages could be barriers in communication and the chance of miscommunication is more likely to occur.
DeleteI have not used discussion board before. It 's seem like facebook? it is a good idea for using online discussion board because we are in an era of digital
ReplyDeleteI prefer a class discussion because I can speak and bring out my idea to share my classmate. Especially, I would like to practice speaking skill
I don't think that online discussion board is the same thing as Facebook. The board is always used for academic field and it is more formal than the Facebook. The language that we use for communication is different. However, both are the places that we can use for exchanging the ideas.
DeleteI agree with your ideas that we should use the online discussion board because of technology development.However, the class discussion is better because communicating with actual people makes the real situation for conversation practicing.
DeleteI believe that you and I are quite the same type of person who have just entered into a new world where we need to adapt ourselves to cope with the new style of learning.
DeleteNoon, that's why I'm less inclined to use online discussion boards in a listening and speaking class.
DeleteThank you for your idea Amm
DeleteI haven't used the online discussion board but I felt interest about it, if I can exchange my ideas with another people.And I prefer online discussion because I think it can exchange your ideas with many people in online discussion more than class discussion.
ReplyDeleteAnd Fluke's comment expands on the idea in Pim's above.
DeleteYes, I agree with your idea that we can exchange our opinions instantly with others even if we are doing it from a far distance.
DeleteI have used some online discussion boards. I feel a little bit nervous while I am using them because of the following reasons. First, sometimes I have no idea about the things that they are discussing. It' s quiet hard to share opinions that you're not related. Moreover, the language which should be used in online discussion board is hard for me. For example, the academic writing style isn't the language that I use in my daily life, so I am very nervous about the vocabulary, the grammars, and the emotion of the messages. I prefer a class discussion instead of the online one. I feel more comfortable when I am speaking and I can know about the feeling of others who are discussing with me.
ReplyDeleteExcellent points by Amm, and they also all seem to me good reasons for us to practice using online discussion boards such as this class blog.
DeleteI'm confused with the online discussion which doesn't have clear topic too.It's hard to understand their language but I think it's a good chance to find new challenge to learn more about languages.
DeleteYes, I have. As this is my first time ever, in participating to the on line discussion. At the beginning I felt not familiar with this kind of discussion but after a few sessions, I started to get myself used to with this discussion board.
ReplyDeleteI think there are a lots for me to adjust myself with the new style of learning because I used to with the traditional way of learning where we normally have only class discussion.
Thank you jack. I agree that for most students, this sort of discussion is something that they have not done before, but since it is increasing a part of academic courses at Western universities, it is important to gain some familiarity with it. For an academic reading and writing class, this seems especially important to me, which is why we do it, and it's also the reason that Bixby and Scanlon sensibly include it in Skillful.
DeleteI have same idea to you. We will change the style of traditional classroom to digital classroom. It's sound interesting.
DeleteI like Fahsai's suggestion, which is one I've been thinking about for a while. At the same time, i do still think that some face-to-face class contact is also useful, although perhaps the ease of video-conferencing makes this less of an issue.
DeleteI have used online discussion boards. When I don't understand what they talk about and it can make sure that topic or can check when you speaking.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nee. I would add that in addition to helping understanding for students who might be less confident speaking, an online discussion board is also an opportunity to try out new language in a situation that is more relaxed than for formal written work.
DeleteI agree with your point. When we have a class discussion, we will immediately get the result of the discussion after the conversation ends. On the other hand, Using online discussion board we have to wait for others' responds because we maybe not in the board at the same time. Sometimes we may misunderstand others' points because we cannot express the whole idea and emotion on the board.
DeleteIf you are going to be doing a lot of writing your future, it's worth spending a little time learning to touch type.
ReplyDeleteSee, for example, the BBC's https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/articles/z3c6tfr
DeleteAnd since blogger justifies the lines in comments, that first line looks pretty weird. (Pretty weird is not an academic style, but it meets our standards of being full words in a complete sentence, even though it is more conversational than formally academic.) I'm more generous than a Harvard University professor might be, although, in fact, the research does suggest that even university professors use more conversational language in discussions and even in lectures, so since a blog reflects that, I think it would not be a problem even for Michael Sandel's blog at Harvard.
DeleteThe academic writing skills is important for an online discussion board because the skill make you express your ideas from the topic and it help your improve writing skills correctly.
ReplyDeleteI think an online discussion board might improve me by seeing the other comment in class and make me think more than before, so if we have different ideas we can come the discuss and It's also help me about answer the question in a formal from.
I agree that participating in online discussions is helpful for a academic reading and writing but i would prefer to an class room discussing.
Academic writing skills are important for online discussion board as the writer should be using appropriate writing style with supporting references for your ideas so that others could follow writer's points clearly. Readers who are not native speakers might have misunderstanding on some words used such as lol, ttyl and so on.
ReplyDeleteAn online discussion board would help the students to learn how to gather and contributing individuals' own ideas as well as to see others's opinion and thoughts including how they respond to yours.
Besides, it guides the student how to write appropriately in academic writing style and improves writing skills overtime from a more practicing a person has done in online discussion.
From all my opinions mentioned above, I totally agree that an online discussion board is useful for students learning writing/reading class.
Academic writing skills is important because it make clear when you read the hold idea and it is more polite. However, to write stay on the topic make you understand what people want to say or write, has support the idea because lots of people can read your ideas and exchange their opinion.
ReplyDeleteAcademic skills are important Because you have to write the formal writing style for an online discussion board. I don't think an online discussion might improve my learning in a course. I think studying the writing in general is much more helpful that an online discussion board. I think listening and speaking are more important even though, you have to understand the reading before because I Thailand, people can read and write but we can't speak as well. It'll be great if you are good at every skill so you have to learn more and more for reading,writing,speaking,listening that's all.
ReplyDeleteThe academic skills are exactly important for online discussion board because in the academic topic, there are people who are interested in academic issues.So,they usually use the formal languages and discuss with the reasons to support their ideas.
ReplyDeleteThe online discussion board improves my english very well .It makes me practice mopre about discussing the ideas in english fluently,being a rational person and typing in english which all of these practising are not found in Thai style classrooms.In addition,there are many interesting topics tha people argue with them.I think it's my challenge for expressing my ideas.
I agree with this method because nowadays people usually use online communication and technology has developed.If we don't go forwards,we will go backwards.The online discussion also supports me for being resonal person who use english reading and writing skills in more academic ways.
Academic writing skills is important for an online discussion board because it is a polite way to respond your idea to others. There are many people on the online board and sometimes we have never known who they are. They maybe professors, other students, or anyone. Moreover, using conversation style, including using slang and emoticons, may make some people confused.
ReplyDeleteUsing online discussion board can improve my learning in the course because it is the place to exchange the ideas. Although we read or learn the same stories, we can have different points of view because of different backgrounds and experiences. So we will get various opinions from the boards, some of them we have never though about.
However, I partially agree that participating in online discussions is helpful for academic reading and writing. It has both advantages and disadvantages. Although you can learn and see how to use the academic language on the online discussion board, you have to careful that anyone can post and publish the comments. So sometimes the language is not corrects. You may learn something wrong. If I want to learn about academic language, I prefer choose to read the academic articles rather than the discussion board.
The academic writing skills is important for an online discussion board in terms of use a formal writing style. A formal writing style can be useful in works and studies. It showed that we are professional when we use formal language.
ReplyDeleteOnline discussion board might improve my learning skills both writing and reading. I can read my classmates ideas and bring those good ideas to adjust my writing in case when they use words that I have not know before.
It is a new experience to use online discussion board . I think both online and physical room is useful in term of practice reading and writing skills. Actually, we just change the way for learning
Why are academic writing skills important for an online discussion board?
ReplyDeleteANS: I think the purpose of online discussion board is to seek others' people opinions which will help us broaden our perspective.
How do you think an online discussion board might improve your learning in a course?
ANS: As I mentioned earlier from my previous answer, this online discussion will at least allow me to learn what other people think and I might have end up with additional thought or I might have to consider changing my own idea.
This is not one of Bixby and Scanlon's discussion questions, but do you agree with them participating in online discussions is helpful for academic reading and writing?
ANS: Literally, it's too soon for me to answer this question as I am in the stage of waiting to see the result that will happen to myself unless I can gain more confident then my answer might be "yes".
Why are academic writing skills important for an on line discussion board?
ReplyDelete:It's important for an online discussion because you need to make your discussion in more formal and explain what's your ideas mean correctly.
:It's help me to think more about instructions and discuss with others to exchange the ideas it can be improved my skills.
:I agree that it helpful in academic writing and reading , it can discuss the ideas with others to give more information.