Blackboard's Discussion Board allows students in the class to communicate
with one another asynchronously. This is similar to an email discussion, but
unlike email, all contributions to the discussion are collected on a "board"
which displays all the messages that have been posted to the board.
Generally your instructor will create a forum on a specific topic. You will
access the topic by clicking on the forum, reading the posts, and posting your
reply. A series of posts within a forum is called a thread. Depending on how the
instructor setup each forum, you may reply to a thread or you may begin a new
thread. Please be sure to review the instructions from each instructor prior to
posting to the discussion board.
Your instructor should have a discussion forum designated for each
topic.
To view the posts in a particular forum, click on the forum name.
To view a particular thread, click on the thread name (or subject).
Click OK when finished.
How to create a new
Discussion Board thread:
Once in the Discussion Board, click on the forum name for the forum you wish to post to.
At the top, left side of the screen, click on Add New Thread. (Note:
If your instructor did not allow add thread privileges in the forum,
and the Add New Thread button does not appear, you should follow the
steps below to Reply to a Thread in order to post).
A text box will appear for you to type your message.
Remember to add a subject and click
Submit to post your message.
How to reply to a thread:
Once in the Discussion Board, click on the forum name for the forum
you wish to post to.
Within the forum, click on the thread name (subject) to read the
post.
Click the Reply button (at the bottom, right side of the post).
This will open a text box for you to type your reply. The original
post is available for you to access while typing your response by
scrolling down.
Make sure you read the discussion assignments carefully and follow the specific directions
for each particular discussion board forum. Each instructor
may use the Discussion Board differently, and for different types of
assignments. Some instructors may require a specific number of
words.
Blackboard is a web-based system which means that if
the computer is experiencing any internet connection issues, you may
lose any unsaved work. To avoid losing
your work, especially for assignments that require a significant
amount of writing, you should first write your
responses in a word processing program and save the file. This also
allows you to check spelling and use a word-counting tool.
Then, you can just copy and paste into Blackboard.
Keep your posts direct, specific and to the point. In a large class you may have to read
up to 20 or more different posts, so do not stray from the topic of the discussion.
Choose a title for your post carefully. Try to use titles that specifically relate to
your own thesis or argument in your post. Do not just write,
"Answer to question #3," etc.
Use topic sentences
in your paragraphs that summarize what you intend to say in your post.
This will give your classmates and your instructor a basic idea of your
main thoughts. A topic sentence is essentially a thesis for a paragraph.
Therefore, be sure
that you defend and support your thesis in your post. You may want to
think of it as a "mini" essay: Topic sentence/thesis; body
paragraph(s)/support;
summary sentence at the end.
If you are asked to
offer peer responses, be sure to cite at least one point or idea from
the other student's post and offer constructive feedback. Do not simply
state: "Way to go!" or "I agree." A conversation requires more than
those simple words to be effective. Many instructors will have
criteria for your peer responses--so be sure to pay attention to your
assignment requirements for the discussion boards.
You may want to compose your message one day and then edit and proofread
it the next day to feel confident that what you've written is appropriate, to
the point, and easy to understand before posting it.
Be sure to proofread
for spelling errors, basic grammar errors, and usage errors. Remember,
your only way of communicating in your post is through writing, so your
writing must be clear. Do not
force your classmates and instructor to have to figure out what
you wrote.
Be sure to check
back in frequently to see if others have responded to your post.
Finally, be sure to do your research before you answer important discussion
questions. Use the Chabot Library site to check facts, find support in texts for your
ideas and to locate important resources for your papers and assignments.
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