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How to Use the Blackboard Discussion Board


If you have been given a Discussion Board assignment, please follow these steps:

  1. Enter the Discussion Board: Click the "Communication" button or link on the navigation frame in your course.

  2. Then click the Discussion Board link. (Note: If your instructor has assigned you to the "Group Pages" area instead of the Discussion Board, click the Group Pages Discussion Board icon. Most discussion assignments, however, will take place on the main Discussion Board.)

  3. When you have entered the Discussion Board, you will see a series of discussion forums. Click the link to the forum. In the Introduction to Film course shown below, the forum is "Forum 1-1: Singin' in the Rain":

  4. If you have been given instructions to create a new discussion thread, click the "Thread" icon at the top of the screen, type your message in the message box that appears, and then click "Submit" to post your message:

  5. If you have been given instructions to respond to an existing discussion thread, the "Thread" icon will not appear. Instead, click the name of the thread to which you want to respond, "Friendship," for example, and read the message:

  6. When the thread appears, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click the "Reply" button to respond to the initial discussion thread. Note: You can click the "reply" button at the top of the screen beside the name of the discussion thread or the "reply" button at the top or bottom of the thread message.

  7. If you want to place the initial discussion message at the top of the screen and then see all the other messages in the thread at the bottom of the screen, click, the "swap" down arrow. If you want to see everyone who has already responded to the "Friendship" discussion thread, click the maximize button:

  8. You have several options for reading student replies to the discussion thread and for replying to those messages. You can click the "Go" button beside "Select All" to read all the replies to the main thread and then click the "Thread" button to return to the previous screen. You can also reply to one message at a time, especially if you want to respond to anyone who has responded to your message, by clicking on the person's message title.
Your First Discussion Forum Response


For your first response to your instructor's discussion thread, or if you are asked to create your own new discussion thread, keep the following in mind:

  • Read any prompts from your instructor carefully. A prompt is the assignment to which you are responding. In some cases, the prompt will be posted as the start of a thread in the discussion forum. In others, the prompt will be listed under "Assignments." In either case, read the prompt carefully. Make sure that you understand everything that it requires before you start to respond. If you have questions, ask for a clarification from your instructor, or at least let others know what you are unsure about in your posting.

  • Post something that shows thought. One of the great things about discussion forum communication is that you can think before you respond. Discussion forum prompts are almost always open-ended questions, so even if it seems that the assignment only needs a short answer, assume that you should provide some explanation or narrative about that answer. The challenge is to do this without getting too long-winded!

  • Include examples and supportive arguments, not just opinions. Discussion forums are not just a place to put opinions and feelings. You should also include specific examples, statistics, quotes, and other support materials. On the other hand, you are encouraged to include your opinions too. These will make all of the details more interesting!

  • Cite your sources. It's OK if you borrow ideas from your readings or conversations, but you should attribute these ideas to their source. You can give the official citation of reading material (online or in print) or simply attribute ideas from your classmates. For instance, "In her posting, Shelly said ... That made me wonder about ..."

  • Post your response early in the assignment period. If you wait until the assignment due date, others will not have a chance to respond to what you have said. Your instructor will not have as much time to notice or think about your posting, and a lower score may result. Post your first message early in the assignment period, then return later and respond to others. You'll get more out of the experience and get a better grade.
Responding to Classmates in the Same Discussion Thread

It's called a discussion forum because people are actually supposed to discuss ideas! Clever, huh? That means it will only be useful if you respond to others, not just post your own messages. You will not get the best results or grades from this kind of communication if you don't react to your classmates.

To respond to a message, simply enter the appropriate forum, then click on the subject of a message. Read the message, and if you want to respond, scroll to the bottom and click "Reply." Type your message and "Submit." Here are more hints:

  • Don't agree with everything. "Good idea!," "I agree," or "I think the same thing" are not worthwhile responses. They don't add to the conversation. If you do agree with the poster, then try to add another example or clarify the point more. It's OK to have a different opinion. On the other hand...

  • Don't disagree with everything. You won't impress anyone by being critical of every posting that is made. Try to be generous in interpreting others. Ask clarifying questions if you are not sure you understand.

  • Search for balanced replies. When you respond to others, try to include both positives and negatives about what they have said. Tell them what you like about their ideas or compliment their intentions. Then let them know what part of their response they should consider giving more thought or looking at again.

  • Replies should be useful. A good reply will give everyone following along more to think about. If it is critical, the critique will be specific, clear, and point toward possible improvements. Often, asking more questions is the best sort of reply. A good reply will encourage the poster to respond again. Hopefully, they will look forward to more interactions with you in the future.

  • Attack arguments, but don't attack people. Don't get personal in a discussion forum. At the worst, be generous and assume that it is the person's idea that you don't like, not the person. Ad hominem attacks (against the person) will lose friends and participation points for you. So will racist, sexist, ageist, and other bigoted comments. So will profanity and obscenity. Let's stay civil!

  • If you encounter difficulties or the argument gets too hot, let your instructor know. Your instructor will be checking the forum regularly, but may miss a critical posting. If someone posts something that upsets you, talk to your instructor about it. In some cases, your instructor might help clear up misunderstandings, or if necessary, delete an offensive message from the discourse.
Copying and Pasting Text in Discussions
     If you have a long message for the Discussion Board, you may want to write it first in your word processing program, then revise and edit your document so that your ideas are clearly stated and free from errors. Then you can copy the contents of that document and paste them into the message box of the discussion forum. To copy from a word processing document and paste what you have copied into a discussion thread, follow these steps:

  1. Connect to your course. Open your connection to Internet course and then enter the discussion forum. If you are responding to a person's message, click on the title of the person's message and then click the "Reply" button. Then click in the message box. If you are starting a new message, click the "New Thread" button and then click in the message box.

  2. Open your word processing program. With your Internet connection to the message box remaining open, click on the Start button in the lower left corner of the screen and click on Programs and then Microsoft Word or the icon that connects to your word processing program). Then open your document with the text you want to copy and paste into the discussion forum message box. Then while holding down the control key (Ctrl, just below the shift key), press the "A" key. All your text should be selected (highlighted). Then hold down the control key and press "C." (If you prefer, you can click with the right mouse button and then click on "Select All" or click on "Edit" on the Menu bar at the top of your screen and click on "Select All." Then use a similar process with either the right mouse button or the Edit Menu to copy your document.)

  3. Enter the discussion forum. Then switch to the discussion forum. Make sure you cursor is still blinking in the message box or click in the message box again. Then hold down the control key and while holding it down, press the "V" key. (You can also use your mouse to click in the message box and then click your right mouse button and then click "Paste," or you can click on the "Edit" link at the top of your browser and then click on "Paste.") This will insert the contents of your word processing document into the message box. Then click the "Submit" button at the end of the message box. If you spot any mistakes, click on the "Edit" button at the top of your message, make changes, and then click the "Submit" button.
Modified Friday, August 15, 2008