The discussion board is a forum style area where you can create class discussions with your students, and an asynchronous tool where students can come and go as they please, commenting on or starting new threads.
Blackboard discussions are threaded; this means messages are organized in such a way that participants can follow the flow and chronology of the postings. A student can participate in the discussion and respond to any part of the thread, (There is a setting that will not allow a student to see anything in the forum unless they have already created a thread, if you choose.) and their response will be inserted into the thread outline in the appropriate location in the flow. Threaded discussions are an effective teaching strategy for facilitating student interaction, critical thinking, and promoting learning communities in your online course. The Discussion Board tool in Blackboard contains such features as grading, flagging posts, moderating, receiving email alerts, and conducting peer review.
Threaded discussions are organized by:
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Forum
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A forum is made up of threads. The instructor must create the forum or topic before students can see it. Discussion forums usually represent essential questions which promote critical thinking. The forum's description can provide students with guidelines for the discussion and describe the topic.
Students will no longer see the description line once they enter the forum so if the discussion topic includes several questions you may want to present the essential questions in a thread.
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Thread
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Threads are typically questions posted by the instructor, or they can be the student's response to the forum topic or a new topic or question raised by the student.
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Reply
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Discussion participants use the Reply button to respond to the question in a thread and to respond to each other's replies.
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Discussion Forums can appear throughout a course in any Content Area the instructor chooses. Each group can also have a private Discussion Board with Forums available only to members of that group. The Posts button in the Global Navigation Menu serves as a directory of all class forums. Students or Instructors can use the Posts page to access any forum of which they are a member.
The instructor can also access the Discussion Board main page from the Control Panel to view a directory of all forums within the course (class discussion forums as well as group discussion boards).
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The Create Thread button opens a new screen where the instructor or students may post a new thread.
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The Delete button removes the selected threads.
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The Collect button opens a new window where you can view all selected postings in full text.
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The Thread Actions list includes options for marking posts as read, setting flags, locking posts, and more. (See below)
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The Search button allows you to search forums by keywords. Searches can be narrowed by Current Forums and Discussion Board, All Discussion Boards, and Date restrictions.
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The List View/Tree View buttons allow you to switch between the two thread viewing options. Note that some items in the discussion board are only available in tree view.
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How Can I Use The Discussion Board?
The following are guidelines and a sample grading Rubric you may want to use to evaluate discussions in your course. It is intended to be a guide that you can revise and customize for your course.
The Discussion Board is one of the most powerful communication tools in an online course and can significantly increase student interaction. A discussion forum can help students become acquainted with one another, work collaboratively on projects, achieve critical thinking on topics or issues, and demonstrate learning outcomes. Online communication can also bring out the shy or hesitant learner who might otherwise be silent in a face-to-face discussion.
Discussion activities may include but are not limited to:
- Class discussions about specific questions or topics related to the course readings.
- Specific questions or topics associated with class assignments or projects.
- Small group discussions designed around group exercises or project.
As with any learning activity, provide your students with clear expectations for participating in a discussion forum. Some things to consider are:
- Large course enrollment (25 – 30), and number of students participating in a discussion forum. It is difficult for a group of this size to conduct meaningful online discussions. Consider establishing discussion groups of 10 or less to facilitate more manageable and meaningful discussions.
- Length of time for the discussion forum. Establish when a discussion will start and end. For example: This week's discussion will run from Sunday evening until Saturday evening (10:00 pm).
- Establish clear expectations for participation along with a grading rubric. For example: You should post your initial response to the discussion board by Wednesday (10:00 pm) and then post at least one reply to two other students by close of the discussion on Saturday evening.
Again these are considerations to think about when designing your discussion forum and are only presented as guidelines you can modify for your course.
Discussion Rubric (Sample)
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A
A-
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Timely discussion contributions. Comments are meaningful and show preparedness which reflect course readings. In-depth thought and contributions which add to the overall learning of the other individuals in the course. Demonstrates courtesy and respect to others.
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B+ B-
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Timely discussion contributions. However, overall contribution is lacking in that readings are only sometimes incorporated into the discussions and postings do not always reflect questions posed or topics described. Individual participated in all but ONE of the discussion forums. Demonstrates courtesy and respect to others.
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C+ C-
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Overall contributions not meaningful – type of comments for example 'good idea' or 'I agree. Very little evidence of having read course materials or giving any in-depth thought to the reading. Failed to participate in at least 2 discussions during the posting period.
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D+ D-
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Participation is erratic or non-existent. Little or no evidence of having read course materials and preparing for the discussion. Failed to participate in at least 3 discussions during the posting period.
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