The Discussion Extractor: Export and Save WebCT Discussions as Learning Objects

The Discussion Extractor is one of six tools available from  the Arts ISIT (Instructional Support) unit at UBC (check out the list of tools here).  The Extractor
allows the reuse and repurposing of the student created content found
in a WebCT Discussion board.  This tool takes the text of a
discussion board, strips out the student identification information and
presents the material in a format that can be reorganized and
reused.  One nice touch is the ability to present the data in RSS
or in a SCORM format for incorporation into weblogs or other (WebCT)
courses. 

As creator Warren Scott notes: "there is a
wealth of student generated content within a course discussion board.
This tool allows the harvesting and reuse of this material. One can
easily see the patterns and the evolution of ideas emerging in the
discussion". 

In addition to allowing reuse of learning
materials, this a good example of student generated learning
objects.  Students, however, appear to be unimpressed with the
almost effortless creation of learning objects. The students I spoke to
were impressed by their ability to quickly pinpoint the key themes in
convoluted threaded discussions and the ability to manipulate the data
in the manner that best suited them.

I suspect there are many more uses for a tool like this one.  The Extractor is worth playing with.