How Is a Threaded Discussion Group Set Up?

Anyone with Internet access can set up a threaded discussion group. E-mail software, such as Outlook, FirstClass, or Eudora, can be configured to thread messages and to send e-mail to a group, sometimes called a “distribution list,” or discussion or conference group. Such mail lists are also effective for coordinating group activities. Web-based services, such as Yahoo!Groups or Nicenet, are another possibility. Software for a Web-based bulletin board service can be installed and configured on your school or district computer network for nominal cost by anyone with reasonable technical proficiency. Bulletin boards and e-mail conference groups allow the teacher to easily keep track of the groups, according to the book each is discussing (or any other organizing principle).

Article main page Why might face-to-face discussions fail? What is a threaded discussion group? How is a threaded discussion group set up? A sample from a threaded discussion What if my students don’t have access to the Internet? What are some considerations for teachers? Conclusion Join and try out a threaded discussion group References

Whether you set up an e-mail list, use a service, or establish a bulletin board, the primary features of the TDG are the ability to allow a small group of students and a teacher to discuss a common piece of literature or other topic, and the possibility of asynchronous communication.

The threads of the online discussion can be seen graphically, either by viewing initial posts with responses to them listed beneath in a way that keeps related messages together. In Figure 1, for example, e-mail exchanges related to one group’s reading of C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe are arranged hierarchically. Clicking on any of the message subjects results in display of that message.