Using the Discussion Board
From DurhamtechWiki
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How do I access a discussion forum?
Follow these steps to access a discussion forum:
- Login to Blackboard
- Choose the course that you would like to visit
- Click on the Communication button in the left frame, and then click on Discussion Board link in the right frame.
Note: In some courses, there is a Discussion Board button in the left frame and you can simply click on it.
- You will see a list of one or more discussion forums, each with its own title (or "topic")
- Click on any forum title to enter that forum
How do I start a new discussion forum thread?
Follow these steps to start a new discussion thread:
- Enter a discussion forum by clicking on its title
- Click the Add New Thread button
- Enter "Subject" and "Message" text
Optional: Click the Preview button to view/edit your message prior to posting it
- Click the Submit button
- Your thread will be displayed below any existing threads, with a "New" icon attached
How do I reply to a discussion forum thread?
Follow these steps to read and reply to an existing thread:
- Inside a discussion forum, click on any message link (subject) to view the message
- Reply to the message by clicking on the Reply button to the far right of the page
- Type a "Subject" and "Message" text
Optional: You can preview your message before posting it by clicking on the Preview button. Then you can edit your message by clicking on the Back button and making changes.
- Click the Submit button to post the reply message
- The message will be posted below any existing replies, with a "New" icon attached
- Clicking on the OK button at the bottom of the page will take you back to the Discussion Board
How do I attach a file to a discussion forum message?
Follow these steps to attach a file to a discussion forum message:
Note: This feature may not be available in some discussion forums.
- Enter a discussion forum by clicking on its title
- Add a New Thread or reply to an existing message
- Enter "Subject" and "Message" text
- Click the Browse button (below the message text box) to navigate through your files to find the file you want to attach
- Using the drop-down arrow, find the drive that the file is located on
- Open the file by clicking on the Open button in the Windows screen
- The file path appears in the attachment field
- Click the Submit button to post your message and its attachment
Note: Do NOT attach files that have symbols in the file name, such as the number sign ( # ), per cent sign, or dollar sign, etc.
How do I use the discussion forum toolbar?
Becoming familiar with the discussion forum toolbar:
- Enter a discussion forum by clicking on its title
- If options are hidden, click the "Show Options" tab
| Toolbar Button | Description |
| Add New Thread | Allows user to create a new topic for discussion |
| View Unread Messages / View All Messages | Allows user to toggle between viewing all unread messages and all messages |
| Expand All | Allows user to view all threads |
| Collapse All | Allows user to collapse all threads |
| Search | Allows user to search the discussion board by author or keyword |
| Hide Option / Show Options | Allows user to hide show the toolbar |
| Select All | Places checks in all of the displayed messages’ checkboxes, selecting them for modification. This can be useful for selecting all of the messages in a forum. |
| Unselect All | Removes checks in all of the displayed messages’ checkboxes, deselecting them. This can be useful deselecting all of the messages in a forum. |
| Invert | Places checks in unchecked messages’ checkboxes, and removes them from checked boxes |
| Mark Read | Removes the "New" icon from selected messages and changes the text color of their names from red to gray |
| Mark Unread | Changes the color of selected messages names from gray to red and adds "New" icons to those messages |
| Collect | Causes all selected messages to be displayed on a single page |
HELP! There's no box for me to type my message in!
PROBLEM: You are trying to add a thread or reply to a discussion board posting, but no box appears for you to type in your message.
CAUSE: Bug in Internet Explorer version 7
SOLUTION: See Problems with Internet Explorer 7.
