You can create discussions in two locations within your course. You can create them on the Course Content page just like any other item by creating a new content item anywhere on the page using the Add button (+). The option to create a discussion is in the Participation and Engagement section. You may have to scroll down to view the option.
You can also create them directly on the Discussions page by selecting the New Discussion button.
Watch a Video about Discussions
Discussion Settings
There are several discussion settings that can be customized for each discussion in Blackboard. The following are recommended settings for graded discussions:
- Display on the Course Content page. This setting is recommended so that discussions are visible alongside other course content and assignments.
- Post first. The Post first setting is recommended in most cases to ensure that students consider the discussion prompt before seeing their classmates' contributions.
- Prevent editing. This setting is recommended to preserve the integrity of the Post first option and the discussion in general.
- Due Date. Set a Due Date for the students to initially post a response to the discussion board prompt. You can now set a "Second Due Date" for students to reply to their classmates' posts.
- Participation Requirement. The participation requirement indicates to students how many posts they should contribute before the Due Date and how many replies to classmates they should make by the Second Due Date (if applicable).
Example:
The following screenshot shows the settings for a discussion that requires students to post one initial response to the discussion prompt by Thursday, April 23rd, and to reply to two classmates by Sunday, April 26th.
Help Site Links
Use the following links for additional information and tutorials: