Announcements, Sending Reminders, Conversations vs. Discussions/Emails/Messages


Announcements 

With the Announcements tool, you can post timely information critical to course success. On the Announcements page, you can add, edit, and delete announcements. This is an ideal place to post time-sensitive material, including: 


  • Due dates for assignments and projects 
  • Changes to the syllabus 
  • Corrections/clarifications of materials 
  • Exam schedules 


Any new announcements display as a pop-up when learners enter the course. After that, learners can access the announcement archive by selecting Announcements.  

Sending Reminders

Part of effective teaching is student support. Instructors may want to send a reminder to students or groups who haven't yet made a submission for an assessment. To make this easy, we have added a "Send Reminder" option to items in the Gradebook. 

Learn more: https://help.blackboard.com/node/46696 


Conversations vs. Discussions/Emails/Messages 


Differences and Similarities 


What is the difference between a conversation and a discussion? How are they similar? 

  • Both allow course participants to talk asynchronously with one another. 
  • Conversations are not gradable. 
  • Discussions are gradable. 
  • Conversations do not appear in the activity stream. 
  • Discussions can appear in the activity stream. 
  • Conversations are options associated with other tools: documents, assignments, and assessments. 
  • Discussions are a standalone tool inside the course.