Blog about Twitter
A Twitter discussion could be limiting due to the character limitation. People could be reluctant to make long posts, give details, and explanations. In comparison, a BlackBoard discussion is limiting to the number of viewers (audience) which are usually only the professor and classmates. However, there is no character limitation so users could write as much as they want. On a BlackBoard discussion, posts are usually grouped together by topic and users are less likely to post about their true thoughts due to it being an educational platform (is it school appropriate). On Twitter, people are able to "freely" post about their thoughts as it is their own account. Furthermore, the public could potentially also see the posts and give their two cents.
In comparison to an in-class discussion, Twitter discussions are more extensive in that people can do research before posting. In an in-class discussion, people are not able to easily do research to back up their ideas. Similarly, an in-class discussion is similar to a BlackBoard discussion as the audience is limited to the professor and students. In-class discussions usually go as far as citing in-class articles or texts. In general, to hold a "honest" discussion/debate, it might be best to use Twitter depending on the topic and use. With the internet, users can find more information, which is not as accessible in in-class settings.
In comparison to an in-class discussion, Twitter discussions are more extensive in that people can do research before posting. In an in-class discussion, people are not able to easily do research to back up their ideas. Similarly, an in-class discussion is similar to a BlackBoard discussion as the audience is limited to the professor and students. In-class discussions usually go as far as citing in-class articles or texts. In general, to hold a "honest" discussion/debate, it might be best to use Twitter depending on the topic and use. With the internet, users can find more information, which is not as accessible in in-class settings.
Hello Connie,
ReplyDeleteYes, it’s true that Twitter discussions are limited by the number of characters that can be used in writing a post. Additionally, Blackboard discussions are limited to the professor and students who post on a private forum, but users are able to write with no limits on the discussion board. Furthermore, in-class discussions are limited to the professor and students in a physical classroom setting. However, I’d like to add a few other key points of interest to what you have said within your blog post.
First, because Twitter is a microblog, it’s a great tool for getting quick and up to date information in real-time on assorted topics and it has countless uses such as a place to explore different subjects, however with the use of the 'hashtag' symbol, users can pull up related information from throughout the site and this makes the process quick, easy and manageable. Additionally, by adding ‘RT@’ and the name of the Twitter post, users can quickly find and respond to older posts. Twitter also offers other flexible options and tools. Furthermore, Twitter can be used to connect people for brainstorming sessions, ask questions, respond, get feedback, advice and even answer inquiries from others they follow or who follow them in almost immediately and in real-time, which makes it a great tool for collaborating. Moreover, the Twitter app is a handy tool that makes it simple to access posts, from any smartphone or electronic device, and from any place in the world. The drawback of Twitter is that twitter pages can get cluttered with multiple followers posting and responding at one time and this might lead to distractions and even posts getting pushed down and forgotten among all the other tweets when newer tweets are posted.
Blackboard on another hand is a virtual learning environment and management system where professors and students can collaborate with each other in a secure and encrypted space. It’s a one-stop place for everything related to each class course workload and where students can find their class syllabus, group discussions, due dates, course calendar, assignments and more all in one easy location. Furthermore, Blackboard offers professors the extra flexibility to personalize and customize their Blackboard area in the way that best suits the class needs, so each section personalized and tailored differently from one course to the next and instructors can even administer exams, post grades, plus give feedback and comment on student's posts and assignments. However, Blackboard responses are much slower and can lag behind from the time the information is posted and when students would receive them and in return respond. Blackboard can actually be viewed as a virtual classroom where the only information that will be found on the site pertains to only the particular classes the student is taking.
With in-class discussion, you get real-time feedback from the professor and classmates while discussions are personal, active and livelier. Students can ask questions from both the professor and classmates and get multiple viewpoints and responses, what is more, they can debate their points of view with the professor monitoring the class activity and interrupt when things start getting intense. Also, students have the opportunity to get quick clarity with assignments and even meet with the professor before or after class if they have any concerns about projects or grades. It gives students a feeling of emotional connection that can build rapport between themselves and the professor and even make friends with classmates. However, when students leave the classroom the discussion usually comes to an end and any additional questions or comments have to wait until the next class meeting.
Personally, I only wished that Baruch College had an app like other CUNY colleges that integrates Blackboard, email, Degreeworks, CUNY-First and other services so that I can quickly access all the school information easily and right from my smartphone.