Post a blog entry with the above title. How
does a Twitter discussion compare to a BlackBoard Discussion? To an in-class
discussion?
If I had to describe the differences between a BlackBoard
discussion to a twitter discussion in three words, it would be length of
context. Twitter only allows a user to write 140 words at max per blog, while a
BlackBoard discussion has no limitation and that is a huge difference. Twitter’s
limitation of context places a pressure of writing succinctly as possible with
no other option, and that can be a challenging task when a person has a lot to
say. This ultimately leads to a more careful thinking. However, since
Blackboard does not have limitations to how long a user’s context has to be, it
then invites the possibility of a really long blog. This can be harsh on reader’s
eyes and in my opinion this is why twitter is better. Writing in a concise way
is a skill that takes a long time to master, and Twitter is a tool that’s helps
with the mastery. Another way that a
BlackBoard discussion differs from Twitter, is in accessibility. Twitter has a
very well made app that allows people to get notifications on discussions, replies,
etc. BlackBoard on the other hand, doesn’t really have an app to notify people
of activity and its done through emails. Emails can be lost sometimes because
of spam mails and its why they can be unreliable at time, when comparing to a
phone notification. At the end, since modern time is all about mobile
communication, Twitter then wins.
On the other hand, comparing Twitter to
in-class discussions is a little harder. In-class discussion allows people to
share ideas instantly and with the ability to analyze a person’s body behavior
and tone of voice. This can lead to a better delivery of an expression when
comparing to an idea expressed through text. Text doesn’t capture emotions,
like humans do through body movements and tone of voice. In my opinion, some
ideas can’t be expressed in 140 words. Although Twitter is a better option to
communicate than Blackboard, in-class discussions end up being better than the
rest. The only thing Twitter does better than in-class discussion, is that it
allows introverted student’s voice to be heard more often. Online discussions
give every person equal opportunity to participate, and that is where Twitter
outshines in-class discussions.
Hi Jose,
ReplyDeleteI agree that Twitter keeps the discussions short, simple and to the point with the character limit. This can be both beneficial or damaging as to how much one has to say. I personally would rather prefer Twitter mainly because I have been using it for two years now and I'd rather read multiple tweets of the same discussion compared to a forum with like multiple paragraphs to get one's point across.