Blackboard Discussions

Discussions allow students to make public posts and read and reply to each others' contributions. Discussions can be included alongside other items in the Course Content area, or organized separately in the Discussions area. 

⏬ Table of Contents

Create a discussion on the Course Content Page

You can create a discussion directly on the Course Content page so students can view it in context with other materials by clicking on the plus sign> create > Discussion.  Instructors can use folders as a container/forum for discussion prompts.

Create a discussion in the Discussion area using the navigation bar

Select the Discussions link in the top navigation menu to open the course discussions page.

Add a folder to organize conversations how you would like by selecting the Add Folder button.  From the slide out panel, add a name, add a description and select save. Use folders as a container/forum for discussion prompts.

Select the New Discussion button in the upper-right corner to create a new discussion.

Name the discussion

Click the edit pencil next to the name to edit the discussion name. If you don't add a name, the default title will become "New Discussion" plus the date the discussion was created.

Add instructions and items to discussion

Use the text editor to include items such as instructions, expectations, videos and readings. Select Save to capture changes.

Auto Generate a Discussion using the AI Design Assistant

Discussions will be generated based on your course’s title and description.

Select the Auto-Generate icon next to the item visibility menu.

An Auto-Generate Discussion panel will open where you can:

• Add a description or select course items to provide context for discussions.

• Select a desired cognitive level from the menu

• Adjust the complexity of the discussion by clicking and dragging the slider.

• Select whether you want to generate a title for the discussion using the check box. This option is selected by default. Uncheck it if you do not want to generate a title.

• Expand the Advanced options menu to select a different language.

Select Generate

Select the radio button next to a generated discussion and select Add.

Edit the discussion name using the edit pencil next to the title. Edit the text using the text editor. Open the discussions settings panel using the gear icon in the upper right hand corner, make your selections and save. Change the item visibility or set a release condition and select Save.

Make discussion available to students

Students can't see a discussion until you choose to show it (hidden by default).  You can create all of your content ahead of time and select what you want students to see based on your schedule.  You also have the option of setting release conditions based on date, time and performance on other items in the course gradebook. Select the arrow next to “Hidden from Students” to expand a menu with additional options.

Select discussion settings

Select the Discussion Settings icon (gear) to open a panel with options for the discussion.

Expand an option below to learn more:

 Grade Discussions

You have the option to make the discussion count for a grade.  When you choose to grade a discussion, more options will appear where you can set the due date and maximum points.  The maximum points apply to one or more posts made by a student.  When you enable grading for a discussion, a column is automatically created in the gradebook.

Reorder discussions

To rearrange a discussion, go to the discussions page using the top navigation tab.  Here, hover your mouse over the stacked dots of the discussion.  Click and hold your mouse and drag the discussion.  The discussion will highlight purple so that you can easily see where you'll be placing it in the list.  Release the mouse button to drop the discussion in the new location.

Edit or delete a discussion

To edit or delete a discussion, open the discussion page using the top navigation tab. You should see a list of discussions you have created.  To delete or edit, click on the discussion's three dot menu and select delete.  This will delete the entire discussion along with all responses and replies. Deleting a discussion is permanent and cannot be undone.

Edit or delete an individual response or reply

Go to the discussion and find the response you want to edit/delete.  Click on the response’s three dot menu and select delete.  This will only delete the response you have selected and cannot be undone.

View discussion analytics

To view student activity in a discussion, go to the discussion and open the discussion's three dot menu. Select Student Activity to view discussion participants and activity.

Follow a discussion

Follow select discussions and receive notifications for new activity in those discussions by selecting the three dot menu and select follow from the menu. You must set up your profile notification settings to include new discussion messages in order to receive notifications.

Discussions you are following will be tagged with a following icon.

Unfollow a discussion

To unfollow a discussion, enter the discussion and select the unfollow option.

What will you see when students post to the discussion?

Students can open discussions from the Discussion tab on the top navigation menu.  If there are new entries, you will see an indicator bubble next to the discussion title.

When you open the discussion, new responses and replies appear with "New" to show any activity that's happened since your last visit.  Click on the Reply link to add a reply or Click on the Show replies to view all replies.

You can reply to individual posts by clicking on the reply link.  To delete or edit a post, select the three dot menu and select edit or delete.  This will only alter the selected reply you have chosen.

Short Video: Create a discussion