LMS Alternatives - Part 1

This is the first in a series of posts where I will detail tools that replace functions of a learning management system. Today's subject: Discussion boards.

Discussion boards are nothing new. It's age is a double-edged sword. Because they've been around for a while, they have a high rate of adoption into the (virtual) classroom. Also every LMS has the option to have one. The down side is that the nature of posts tends to bury the answers and conclusions the participants come to deep within a thread.

So, what if you just want a discussion board and nothing else? Here are some options:

Proboards.com
Proboards are ad supported but if you don't mind a couple of ads the setup is quick and painless.

Freeboards.net
Freeboards.net has no ads but was acting really slow the day I tried to use it.

PHPBB
If you can setup a webserver then you can put up your own PHPBB. But make sure you keep up with the security updates.

Or you can pay for hosting with:

Boardhost.com

What discussion boards have users had success using?

Coursecasting

Recently the BBA tech team was invited to a meeting about the direction of new technology on campus. One of the subjects that came up was podcasting (sometimes known as coursecasting in higher ed.

We've had this discussion in the context of the BBA as well. Luckily, the main concern that faculty and administration have about podcasting don't apply to the BBA's model.

Main Concern #1: Students will stop showing up for class.

Several studies including this one from the University of Washington show that this is not the case. In fact it had no impact on attendance one way or another.

In the BBA there are no classes to attend anyway, so the point is moot.

We're considering podcasting several Business Topics for our students who prefer an audio presentation of a subject rather than a written one.

How do you feel about podcasting? Have you used one successfully?