How does a Twitter discussion compare to a Blackboard discussion? To an in-class discussion?
Obviously, Twitter's limit of 140 characters puts a straining cap on the effectiveness of Twitter as a discussion medium. Twitter is more suited to "thoughts' or "updates" (ala Facebook). In comparison, a Blackboard or in-class discussion places no such limits on characters. There are also time concerns associated with text-based discussions. It takes a while for someone to type their contributions and post them. It then takes time for someone to read these contributions, process them, then respond. In-class discussions don't suffer from this lag.
However, there are some advantages to Twitter discussions and Blackboard discussions over in-class discussions. If one is shy or lacks self-confidence, he/she can post messages without anxiety. The discussion is text-based, and so everyone's presence feels the same. Also, text-based discussions allow you to type out what you want to say, read it, change/edit it, and only post when you feel it is ready. In-class discussions don't allow for this "filter."
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