1. Enter the Discussion Board: You will be participating in either the Discussion Board or a Group Pages Discusion Board:
   1. If you have been assigned to participate in a forum on the Discussion Board, click on the "Communications" button and then on the "Discussion Board" link.
   2. If you have been assigned to participate in a group discussion, click on the "Communications" button and then on the "Group Pages" link. When you arrive at the Group Pages area, click on the name of your group and then click on the "Discussion Board" link.

   

2. If you have been given instructions to start a new discussion thread, once you enter the discussion forum, click on the "Add New Thread" button.

   

3. In the "Subject" box (shown below), type the name of the discussion thread that you want to create. Be sure to use a short name. In the discussion forum example above, the student has been directed to type the name of the film that she wants to view and discuss in the "Subject" box. She would then type her message in the "Message" box and then click the "Submit" button. Notice that the "Message" box options have been expanded by clicking the drop arrow. The student can undo mistakes, cut and paste text. add boldfacing or a numbered or bulleted list, insert a table, and check spelling. If you have copied text from another source, such as your word processing program and want to paste it into the "Message" box, be sure to click the "paste" icon that looks like a small clipboard or hold down the "CTRL" key on your keyboard and press "V" to insert that text (or picture, Web address, etc.) that you have copied from another source.

   

4. For good results with your messages, keep the following in mind:
   • Read any prompts 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.

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.

• Discussion Board
• Virtual Chat
• File Exchange
• Send E-Mail

1. Click on the "Student Tools" button at the left of your screen.
2. Click on the "Student Manual" button.
3. Look for "Using Communication Tools" in the Student Manual Contents.
4. Click on the "Using Communication Tools" link. When you click on this link, several options become available under the link.
5. Scroll down the Student Manual Contents until you see "Group Pages" under the heading "Using Communication Tools."
6. Click on the "Group Pages" link.
7. Read through the directions on how to use the features in the Group Pages section of the course.
8. Contact your instructor if you have any questions about communicating with other members of your group(s) with Group Pages.

1. Click on the "Communication" button located at the left of your screen.
2. Click on the "Send E-Mail" button.
3. Click on "Send E-Mail to Single/Select Groups."
4. Select the group or groups to which you would like to send your e-mail message.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on the gray "Send E-Mail" button.
6. In the new window that appears, enter the subject heading and message to be posted in your message. (As a special note, you may wish to create your message in a word processing program, then copy and paste it into the discussion thread message box. Why? You can conduct a spell check of your work in your word processor whereas you are unable to do so in the Blackboard CourseInfo program. In addition, you can have a copy of your work to re-post if you run into technical difficulties.)
7. Once you are finished entering your subject heading and message, click the gray "Send Message" button at the bottom of your screen to send message to the members of your group(s).
8. Please refer to your Student Manual located in the "Student Tools" section of the course for more information on or assistance with Sending E-Mail.
9. Contact your instructor if you have any questions or comments about sending e-mail.