Discussions are online forums in Blackboard where you can share posts, images, multimedia, and attachments. You may be asked to start new discussions or join existing ones, sometimes as part of an assessment.
Your instructor may also create group discussions for targeted interaction with specific students in your course or Organisation.
How to access Discussions
How to participate in Discussions
How to create a Discussion
How to access Discussions
There are multiple ways to access Discussions:
1. In your course content area alongside other course materials:
2. On the Discussions page, through your course’s navigation bar:
3. From your Blackboard Activity Stream:
4. From the Gradebook, for marked discussions:
How to participate in a Discussion
When you open a Discussion, you’ll see:
- The topic and prompt
- Due date and grading details (if applicable)
- A response box
- The five most active participants, with a search option for others
- All responses contributed so far, with new responses highlighted in purple and marked ‘New’
To view a specific participant’s activity, click their name or use the search box. Enter your response in the response box and reply to others’ posts. Two levels of replies are allowed under each initial response.
Note: Some discussions may require you to post before viewing others’ responses. If so, you’ll see a prompt to “Post a response to see discussion activity,” and responses will be visible after posting.
Following a discussion
Select Follow to receive notifications for new activity in a discussion. To stop notifications, select Unfollow. You can refresh a discussion for updates by clicking the arrows beside Follow or Unfollow.
Adjust notification settings in your Activity Stream to control updates for:
- Activity on your responses.
- Activity on responses you have replied to.
- Responses from instructors.
- Updates for followed discussions and replies.
How to create a Discussion
If permitted by your instructor, you can create discussions for your classmates to join. (Note: instructors can delete discussions, responses, or replies).
To create a discussion:
- Click the New Discussion button.
- Type a title (editable only by your instructor once saved).
- Start with a question or idea, format text, attach files, or insert multimedia.
- Click Save.
Your discussion will appear as “Created by student.” When other students open it, your name will show as the “Author.” You may edit or delete your own posts or delete a discussion you created, provided no activity has occurred. Only instructors can edit the discussion title.
Guide last updated on November 7, 2024
