U of S Course ToolsSteps: Action: Editing the Discussion Forum itself 1. Discussion Forums are part...

UofSCourseTools

WorkingwithDiscussions–ForInstructors

Fall2015

UniversityofSaskatchewan–WorkingwiththeDiscussionBoard ICTTrainingServices2015

UofSCourseTools Call306.966.2222ORservicedesk@usask.ca

Background:IfyouareusingtheUofSCourseToolsforthefirsttime,pleasereviewtheCourseToolsBasicdocumentbeforeusingthisdocument.Notethatthescreenshotscontainedwithinmayvaryfromyourcourse,especiallywiththeoptionsavailable.Customizationofyourcourseallowsyouasaninstructortoaddmanytoolsforteaching.

Step: Action:AddingaDiscussionBoardForum

1. Choosethecoursecontentwhereyouwantthediscussiontobeplaced.Inthisexample,thediscussionboardwillbeplacedintheCourseMaterials>Discussions(afoldercreatedforthispurposebyyou,theinstructor).NOTE:Thismethodofcreatingadiscussionisforanentireclass.IfyouwanttocreateadiscussionandrestricttoaGROUPwithintheclass,youmustcreatetheGROUPfirst.MoreinformationonthismaybefoundintheWORKINGWITHGROUPShelpdocument.

2. ChooseTool>DiscussionBoard

Thefollowingscreenappears:

3. ChooseCreateNewForumandcompletethesectionsthatincludeForumInformation,Forum

Availability,ForumSettings.(Youwillwanttocreateanewforumifyouhaveneverbeforecreatedadiscussionforthecourse)SeeHelpattheendofthisdocumentfordetaileddescriptionofforums.

ShortDescription:Forumsaremadeupofindividualdiscussionthreadsthatcanbeorganizedaroundaparticularsubject.CreateForumstoorganizediscussions.Whenchoosingoptionsandsettings,youmaywishtoconsiderthefollowing:Whenistheforumavailabletostudents,andforwhatlengthoftime?Willthestudentsbegradedforthediscussion?Willthestudentsbeabletosubscribetothethreadsorforum?Willthestudentsbeallowedtocreateandeditthreads,attachfiles,reply?Willtheybeabletotagandrateposts?

4. Submittheforum.

Settings

5. ThecreatedforumisdisplayedintheDiscussionBoardForumlist.SelecttheNextbuttontocontinue.

6. SettheoptionsfortheLinktotheDiscussionBoardandthenSubmitthesettings:

7. TheDiscussionwillappearintheareaofthecoursewhereitwascreated.Inthisexample,thisistheDiscussionsFolder.

Step: Action:UsingtheForum

1. NowthattheForumhasbeencreated,studentswillbeabletoviewtheiteminthea)DiscussionfolderthatyoucreatedORb)byselectingtheDiscussionBoardfromtheToolspage(ToolsislistedintheMainCourseMenuontheleftsideofthemaincoursescreen)a)

2. Tocreateathreadfortheforum,clickonthetitleofthediscussion,thenselectCreateThread

ShortDescription:AThreadisaseriesofpostsrelatedtothesamesubject.ThreadsprovideanorganizationalstructurewithinaForumforuserstosharepostsonsimilartopics.Creatingathreadpoststhefirstmessage.HelpwithThreads

3. CreatetheThreadandclickSubmit

4. TheCreatedThread:

5. StudentswillnowbeabletoselectthethreadafterselectingtheDiscussionForum(theywillseeSampleDiscussion1withintheCourseMaterialsarea.Inthisexample,thethreadisTypesofFertilizersandtheymayreply.)Studentwillsee:

Astudentreply:

6. Asstudentsproducereplies,theinstructorwillbeabletoseetheposts.TheDiscussionForuminthis

exampleisfoundintheCourseMaterials>Discussionsarea.ClicktheitemSampleDiscussion1inordertoseethereplies.

Onceintheforum,selectingtheCollectbuttonallowstheinstructortoseeallpostsandprintthiscollectionforeasierreading.

7. InsteadofCollect,theinstructorcanchoosetoGradeDiscussionForum,whichprovidestheinstructorwitheachindividual’sposts.ThisbuttonisfoundbesideCreateThreadONLYiftheforumoptionforGradinghasbeenset.TheGradeDiscussionForumtakestheinstructortoalistofallstudents,andtheinstructorcanthenchoosetoGradeeachstudent.NOTE:Ifyoudecidetogradetheforumandwishtoaddthisoption,selectthedropdownoptionmenubesidetheforumnamefortheeditoptions.

Gradingoptions:

8. DrilldowntheoptionsontherightinordertoviewtheForumStats,ForumGradeandContributors.

Steps: Action:EditingtheOptionsandSettingsforaDiscussionForumLINK

1. NavigatetotheDiscussionLINKyouwishtoedit.(alldiscussionscanbefoundintheDiscussionTOOL-leftsidemainmenu-Tools>DiscussionBoard)Inthisexample,theSampleDiscussion1isfoundontheCourseContentpageinsidethefoldertitled

“Discussions”.MakesuretheEditModeissettoON andfromthe ,chooseEditintheitemoptionslist.

2. YouwillseethefollowingscreenwhichallowsyoutoedittheLINKtothatdiscussionforum.ThisistheidenticalscreenthatyousawwhenCREATINGthediscussionLINK.

Steps: Action:EditingtheDiscussionForumitself

1. DiscussionForumsarepartoftheTOOLSofacourse.ToaccesstheDiscussionTool,selecttheDiscussionBoardfoundintheCourseToolsontheleftsideundertheCourseManagementareaofBlackBoard.ThiswilltakeyoutotheDiscussionBoardwherealltheforumsavailableinthecoursearelisted.

2 TheDiscussionBoardcontainsForums.TheForumsNOTcontainedwithinGroupsarefoundunder

thecoursenametest_sp14_evs162(inthisexample)

3. Selectdemo_trainingtoaccessthepagecontainingcourseForums.TheForumscannowbeeditedbyclickingthechevron besidetheforumname.

NOTE:Inthisexample,Gradeisanoptioninthedropdownmenu.ThisitemONLYappearsbecausewhentheforumwascreated,theoptiontogradethatforumhadbeenselected.ChooseEdittoaccesstheForumsettingsandmakeanychangesrequired.

Steps: Action:Managingathread(reply,quote,edit,deleteorflag)

1. Usersmayrespondto,andormanageathreadbyselectingtheDiscussionBoard(usingToolsattheleftsidemenuORbyaccessingtheDiscussionlinkthattheinstructormayhavesetupinthecourse)Selectthenameofthediscussionforumbyclickingonthename(inthisexampleSampleDiscussion1)

2. SelecttheThreadbyclickingonthenameofthethread

3. Optionsforthethreadareavailablebymousingoverthebottomareaofthepost.Messageactionarefoundunderthelastpost.Youmayemailtheauthorofapost,ifthishasbeenenabled.

FormoreinformationonDiscussions,pleaseseehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObKS6_DB_nI

Help–ForumSettings

Forumsaremadeupofindividualdiscussionthreadsthatcanbeorganizedaroundaparticularsubject.CreateForumstoorganizediscussions.ForumInformationEnteraNamefortheForum.Thisisarequiredfield.TheNamebecomesthelinkthatusersclicktoaccesstheForumtoreadandpostThreads.EnteraDescriptionoftheForuminthetextbox.Thedescriptioncancontainformattedtext,links,images,andattachments.UsetheDescriptiontoprovideinformationabouttheForumandanyinstructionsforposting.Thisinformationisoptional,butcanhelpusersunderstandexpectationsandanyassociatedgoalsandtasks.ForumAvailabilitySelectNotohideaForumfromusers.ThiswillmaketheForumunavailable.DateandTimeRestrictionsForumscanbesettobeavailableonaspecificdateandtimeandtostopbeingavailableonaspecificdateandtime.ForumSettingsForumshavemanydifferentsettingsthataffecthowusersinteractwiththeForums.Forumpostingscanbegraded,ifyouwant.WhenaForumissettobegraded,aColumnintheGradeCenterisautomaticallycreated.TheGradeCenterColumncanbeeditedintheGradeCenterandintheDiscussionBoard.• AllowAnonymousPosts:UserscanposttotheForumwithoutrevealingtheirUsernames.IfForumsallowanonymousposts,theycannotbegraded.

• AllowAuthortoDeleteOwnPosts:Userscandeletealltheirownpostsorjustpostswithoutreplies.Deletedpostscannotberecovered.

• AllowAuthortoEditOwnPublishedPosts:Norecordoftheoriginalpostiskept.• AllowPostTagging:Taggingisawaytoaddmetadatatopoststomakethemeasiertoretrieveinsearches.TotagitemsinaForum,firstselectthemandthenclickCollect.ForfasterDiscussionBoardpageloading,donotallowPostTagging.

• AllowUserstoReplywithQuote:Thissettingisenabledbydefault.WhenusersclickQuote,themessagetheyarereplyingtoisincludedinthepost.

• AllowFileAttachments:Thissettingisenabledbydefault.AttachinglargefileswillslowdowntheDiscussionBoard.

• AllowMemberstoCreateNewThreads:Thissettingisenabledbydefault.IfThreadsaregraded,memberscannotcreatenewThreadsandmemberscannotpostanonymously.

• Subscribe:SubscriptionstoThreadsandForumsaresenttousersbyemail.Onceasubscriptionoptionisselected,userscanselect:o Includebodyofpostintheemail:Theentirepostissentinthebodyoftheemailmessage.o Includelinktopost:Alinktothepostissentinthebodyoftheemailmessage.

• AllowMemberstoRatePosts:Userscanratethequalityofthepostusingafivestarsystem.

• ForceModerationofPosts:ThisrequiresallmessagestobereviewedbyaModeratorbeforetheycanbepublishedtotheForum.TheInstructoristheManageroftheForumandcanmoderateallposts.OtherscanbeassignedtheroleofmoderatortodetermineifpostsarepublishedtotheForumorreturnedtotheauthorforediting.

• Grade:Users'spostscanbegradedintwodifferentways.o UserscanhavetheiroverallparticipationinaForumgraded.ThisoptioncreatesaColumnintheGradeCenter

andrequiresaPointsPossibleentrywhentheForumiscreated.

o UserscanbegradedonaThread-by-Threadbasis.ThisoptioncreatesaColumnintheGradeCenterwhentheDiscussionBoardManagercreatestheThread.IfThreadsaregraded,memberscannotcreatenewThreads.

Help–CreateThreadSubjectandMessageEntertheSubjectoftheThreadinthetextbox.Thisisarequiredfield.TheSubjectisthelinkusersclicktoreadandreplytotheThread.TheMessagetextboxcancontainformattedtext,links,andimages.AttachmentsFilescanbeattachedtoThreads.BrowseforfilesonalocaldriveorinCourseFiles.EnteraNameforthelinkusersclicktoaccessthefile.Ifnonameisentered,thefilenamebecomesthelinktotheattachment.SubmitorSaveaDraftAftercreatingaThread,clickSaveDrafttokeepadraftoftheThreadthatonlyappearstotheauthoronthethreadlistingpage.ClickSubmittopublishtheThreadintheForum.

U of S Course ToolsSteps: Action: Editing the Discussion Forum itself 1. Discussion Forums are part...

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