The Discussion Board is a communication tool that can be used to enhance a course web site. Conversations group a main posting ("forum") with all related replies ("threads").
From Your Course:
Viewing a Thread
- Click on the Discussion Board button, or the Discussion Board link in the Communication section.
- Select the forum which you would like to view.
- Select the thread you would like to view.
- Please note: Replies and responses to threads can be read by clicking the parent thread's subject line
Respond to a Thread
- Click on the Discussion Board button, or the Discussion Board link in the Communication section.
- Click the title of the thread that you wish to respond to.
- Click on the Reply button located to the bottom right of the body of the post.
- Fill in the Message field.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the Submit button.
Create a New Thread
- Click on the Discussion Board button, or the Discussion Boards link in the Communication section.
- Open the forum you wish to respond to by clicking the subject line.
- Click on the Add Thread button.
- Fill in the Subject and Message fields.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the Submit button.
Search Utility
This search utility tool is located at the top of your discussion board screen. This tool is used to search, filter, and display specific threads or forums based on the user's search onditions.
- The Search text box is used by typing in a Keyword and pressing the Go button. Results with this keyword will be returned.
- The In drop down menu works in unison with the Search text box. This will designate where to search for this keyword, whether it be within the Current Thread, Curremt Forum, Current Discussion Board, or All Forums in Course.
- The date boxes located to the right of the Search text box are used to restrict the dates of a user's search. By checking the After or Before check boxes the date restriction applies to the next search. If these check boxes are left unchecked results will be displayed with no date restriction.
Collecting and Viewing Threads
Blackboard allows you to view multiple postings on one screen and gives the option to print these postings. This is helpful when viewing a very active list, or copying and pasting postings into Word,
- Enter the forum you wish to view
- Individually select the threads you wish to view by selecting the check box located next to each thread.
To select all of the threads within the forum select the Select All option from the drop down menu located at the bottom and press the Go button
- Click the Collect button located at the top.
- Scroll down the page to read all the postings
Here is an example of what screen may look like:
- Click Print to print the postings shown.
Flagging Threads
Flagging threads allows users to flag specific threads or forums in which they would like to draw attention to. This is a useful tool if a user wishes to quickly find and view a specific posting for reference at a later time.
- Check the checkbox of a specific thread you would like to flag.
- Click the Flag button located at the top of the discussion board page.
- To remove a flag select the thread you wish to remove the flag from and click the Clear Flag button located at the top of the Discussion Board.
More Information
Q: How do I add a file to my Discussion Thread?
A: In the Reply area, there is an option to browse for an attachment. Click on the Browse button and select your file.
Q: I posted a reply following the steps listed above but when I check the forum my reply isn't shown. What should I do?
A: Sometimes a browser does not update new information that has been sent. Tofind a way how to fix this problem click here.
Note: To prevent problems with Mac/PC compatibility, all files should have a three letter file extension (such as .doc or .htm), which designates its file type. To prevent conflicts, file names should contain no spaces or special character except the underscore (_) and only one period before the file extension (ex: HomeWorkOne.doc).
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