Discussion boards need to be more integrated, unified, and blended; however, most students have not been taught how to participate in an authentic and digital asynchronous exchange. In a recent study by Gardner and Fischman (2021), more than half of college students view college as transactional. Transactional experiences relate to going to college to get a degree, building a resume for graduate school, or getting a job. When students are transactional, they can feel alienated or have a lack of belonging to their intellectual work (Gardner & Fischman, 2021). If used correctly, the discussion board can combat the notion that college is simply a transactional event and put the focus back on learning.
