Discussion Board

The discussion board is a tool for sharing thoughts and ideas about class materials. A significant advantage of forums is that students can take time to consider their responses carefully. 

  • In Blackboard, discussion forums are organized on one discussion board.
  • Forums contain threads, which are strings of original messages and their replies.
  • Your instructor can choose to link directly to an individual forum, or link to the entire discussion board, from which you will choose from a list of forums.
  • Depending on the forum's settings, students can create their own posts and respond to anyone else's, or they can only respond to an instructor's post.
  • Grades and feedback are provided online and can be seen on the My Grades page.

Discussion Board Image

Watch video image

Video Tutorial

View the How to Use Blackboard Discussions for a step-by-step demonstration and more information about the discussion board.

Tips for Good Forum Posts

  • Pay close attention to the instructions, including what to write in the subject line, which will make it easier to search for particular posts later.
  • Take note of how many times you are expected to post and/or reply to others' posts.
  • Don't just respond to others' posts with simplistic comments like "Me, too" or "I agree with what she said." Your posts need to reflect what you have thought about and learned.
  • Use the "Reply with Quote" option to make it easier to tell which post you are responding to, especially if there are several other posts in between that one and your response.
  • Post earlier rather than later, so that you have a chance to share your original ideas while they are still fresh in your mind.
  • Rubrics might also be available so that you are aware of how you are being graded.
  • If you are asked to attach a file to your post, follow the directions on uploading files to Blackboard in the Assignments section of this orientation.
  • Look for a green "Success" bar near the top of your computer screen to confirm that Blackboard has accepted your post. You may have to scroll up to see it.