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Managing discussions in Blackboard

Quick guide for Lecturers

The Discussions tool allows you to create topics relevant to the section where users can post and reply to messages. Only users enrolled in the section can post and reply to messages to the discussion.

There are three types of discussion topics: threaded, class blog and journal.

Create a discussion topic
Create a discussion category
Move/copy a discussion topic to a different category
Reorder discussion categories
Add a link to an existing discussion topic
Remove a link to a discussion topic
Hide/show a discussion topic
Set release criteria for a discussion topic
Lock a discussion topic

Create a discussion topic

  1. Click on the Teach tab.
  2. Click on Discussions in the Course Tools menu.
  3. Click on the Create Topic button near the top-left of the main window.
  4. Select the type of discussion topic you would like to create (Threaded, Blog or Journal) by clicking on the circle next to its title.

Note: this option will only be available if the Blog and Journal features have been enabled. To enable these, click on Manage Course in the Instructor Tools menu and select Settings, then click on Discussions in the Tools list, and click on the circle next to true for Enable Blog and Journal type topic creation.)

  1. Click on the Next button.
  2. Type in a Title and a Description.
  3. To organise the discussion topic into a category, select a category from the drop-down list.
  4. Click Save.

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Create a discussion category

  1. Click on the Build or Teach tab.
  2. Click on Discussions in the Course Tools menu.
  3. Click on the Create Category button near the top-left of the main window.
  4. Type in a Title and Description.
  5. Click Save.

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Move/copy a discussion topic to a different category

  1. Click on the Build or Teach tab.
  2. Click on Discussions in the Course Tools menu.
  3. Click on the box next to the topic(s) you wish to move or copy.
  4. Click on the Click to view move options icon next to the topic above or below where you wish to move or copy the topic(s).
  5. Select the appropriate move/copy option.

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Reorder discussion categories

  1. Click on the Build or Teach tab.
  2. Click on Discussions in the Course Tools menu.
  3. Click on the Reorder Categories button at the top-left of the window.
  4. Click on the box next to the category/ies you wish to move.
  5. Click the Move Selected Items Above icon next to the category above which you wish to move the selected item(s).
  6. Click OK.

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Add a link to an existing discussion topic

  1. Click on the Build tab.
  2. Go to the folder, learning module or Home Page where you wish to add a link to the discussion topic or category.
  3. Click on the Add Content Link button at the top of the window and select Discussions from the drop-down list.
  4. Click on the discussion topic or category you wish to add from the Select from inventory list.
  5. Click Add Selected.
  6. Go to the discussion topic or category link you have just made.

If you do not wish for the description to appear on this page then click on the ActionLinks icon next to its title and select Customize Link. In the Custom Description for this Link field, type in a space and delete the remainder of the text, then click Save. The description will still appear within the discussion space.

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  1. Click on the Build tab.
  2. Click on Discussions in the Course Tools menu.
  3. Click on the box next to the topic or category title.
  4. Go to Create Link on at the bottom of the listed discussions and select the desired location from the drop-down list.
  5. Click on the Go button.

If you do not wish for the description to appear on this page then click on the ActionLinks icon next to its title and select Customize Link. In the Custom Description for this Link field, type in a space and delete the remainder of the text, then click Save. The description will still appear within the discussion space.

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Remove a link to a discussion topic or category

  1. Click on the Build tab.
  2. Go to the folder, learning module or Home Page from where you wish to delete the link to the discussion topic or category.
  3. Go to the discussion topic or category link and click on the ActionLinks icon next to its title.
  4. Click on Remove Link
  5. When the dialog box appears asking Are you sure you want to remove this link?, Click OK.

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Hide/show a discussion topic

  1. Click on the Build tab.
  2. Go to the folder, learning module or Home Page where the link to the discussion topic or category is located.
  3. Go to the discussion topic or category link and click on the ActionLinks icon next to its title.
  • To hide the discussion, click on the Hide Item button in the drop-down list.
  • To show the discussion, click on the Show Item button in the drop-down list.

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Set release criteria for a discussion topic

Important: If release criteria are set for an item, the item must be set to show. If the item is hidden, even when the release criteria are satisfied the item will not be visible to students.

  1. Click on the Build tab.
  2. Click on Discussions in the Course Tools menu.
  3. Go to the discussion topic and click on the ActionLinks icon .
  4. Click on Set Release Criteria .
  5. Set the release criteria. (For further information, refer to the Selective Release guides.)
  6. Click Save.

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Lock a discussion topic

  1. Click on the Build tab.
  2. Click on Discussions in the Course Tools menu.
  3. Go to the discussion topic and click on the ActionLinks icon .
  4. Click on Edit Properties .
  5. Click on the icon to expand the heading Topic Behaviour Options.
  6. Click on the circle next to Lock this topic for Students (Lecturers can post in a locked topic).
  7. Click Save.