Participating in a Discussion

Blackboard's discussion board is an important communication tool for online learning.

In the Discussion Board, people in the course share their thoughts and ideas with each other and essentially engage in "conversation".

Accessing the Discussion Board

To get to a discussion forum, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Select the Discussion Board Button.

Step 2: Click the name of the forum in which you want to post a message.

Starting a New Thread

Starting a New Thread is the on-line version of beginning a new train of thought in a discussion.

To start a new thread, follow the 4 steps below.

Step 1: Click the Start New Thread button.

Step 2: Enter the subject and message to be posted.

Step 3: Select the appropriate Options. The option you select will become the default for all replies.

Step 4: Click Submit to post your message.

Your thread will be displayed with a icon.

Reading/Replying to a Message

To read or reply to a message, follow the 7 steps below.

Step 1: Click the name of the forum you would like to enter.

Step 2: Click the subject title of the message to which you would like to respond.

Step 3: Click the Reply button to post a reply.

Step 4: Enter the appropriate information in the text fields.

Step 5: Preview to view your message before it is posted. Click Submit to post your message.

Step 6: Your message is posted and marked with the icon.