Discussions - posting & replying

• Posting a new discussion thread
• Replying to a post

When a discussion forum is active, it can become difficult to keep up with the postings in each forum or thread. These common queries will help you to more easily navigate and facilitate a forum when there are a large number of posts:

• Quickly finding which forum has new posts
• Displaying threads
• Moving from message to message 
• Collecting threads
• Moderating discussion board content
• Identifying if students have been participating in discussions
• Locking a thread in a forum

Posting a new discussion thread

Within a forum, users can start a thread that other users can reply to. Each forum can have numerous threads and each thread may have many replies.

1. Open a Discussion Board forum.
2. Click Create Thread.
3. On the Create Thread page enter a Subject and a Message.
   
   
   
   
4. Use the Attach File function to attach one file. To add multiple files, use the Attach file icon in the Message text editor.
   
   
    
5. Click Submit. The newly created thread appears in the forum.

Replying to a post

As users post responses to threads, a discussion builds around the topic of the thread.

1. On the Discussion Board page, click on the name of the forum.
2. Open the thread in the forum you want to reply to.
3. On the Thread Detail page, click Reply or Quote to include the post's text as part of your reply.
4. On the Reply to Post page, you can edit the Subject and type your reply in the Message text box.
   
   
    
5. Use the Attach File function to attach one file. To add multiple files, use the Attach file icon in the Message text editor.
   
   
    
6. Submit or Save Draft for later submission.
    

Note: You can reply to published threads, but cannot reply to locked or hidden threads.

Quickly finding which forum has new posts

The What's New module reports on additions and changes to course content and displays the number of unread Discussion Board posts for each forum. The module will show items within the last seven days.

The module can be accessed from the Notifications Dashboard and also from the Course Homepage.

Alternatively, navigate to the Discussion Board which will display a list of Forums. Any row that is displayed in bold type indicates that there is an unread post in that forum.

Click on the Forum name and the Forum page will display a list of threads in that forum. Any row that is displayed in bold type indicates that there is an unread post in that thread.

Displaying threads

After you click a Forum name on the Discussion Board page, the forum page opens and displays all forum threads. You can view the page in either List View or Tree View. This choice remains in effect until you change it and you may change it at any time. On the forum page, in the upper-right corner, you can toggle between the two views.

List View

Click List View to present the threads in a table format. Threads containing any unread posts appear in bold type with a link

Select the check box next to a thread and make a selection from the Thread Actions drop-down list. You can select multiple threads or select the check box in the header to select all threads. The actions include:

• Marking threads read or unread.
• Setting or clearing flags. Flags mark threads for later attention.

Tree View

Click Tree View to show the thread starter messages and their replies. This view makes it easier to read the posts in a forum when there are lots of messages by using the Collapse All and Expand All functions to hide or see all posts included in all threads.

You can also expand and collapse threads by using the plus and minus icons next to the titles. If a thread starter message contains unread posts, the thread starter title appears in bold type. 

Select the check box next to a thread and make a selection from the Message Actions drop-down list on the Action Bar. You can select multiple threads or select the check box in the header to select all threads. Actions include: 

• Marking threads read or unread.
• Setting or clearing flags. Flags mark threads for later attention.

Moving from message to message

Opening a thread in a forum by clicking on its name, takes the user to the Thread Detail page. On the Thread Detail page, you can navigate from post to post, adjust your view of the page, view information about the selected post, and reply to others. Use the Move to previous message or Move to next message arrows for navigating between messages in the thread.

Collecting threads

Collections are a good way to organise posts for quick reading. On the Thread Detail page, you can read only one post at a time. Use the Collect function to read multiple posts from the same page. Once posts are collected, you can filter, sort, and print them.

1. On the Forum page, click the name of the thread.
2. On the Thread Detail page, select the check boxes of the posts to collect. If a post has replies and you want them to appear on the Collection page, click the plus sign to expand the post and select the check boxes for those messages.
   
   

   Note: To select all the posts in a thread, click Select: All above the Message List. All check boxes for all the posts are selected whether they are expanded or collapsed.

3. On the Action Bar, click Collect.
   
   
    

   Note: The Collect function is also available in the Forum page, where it is used to gather all the postings made to different threads. Once collected, you can sort the messages to further organise them.

4. On the Collection page, sort, mark, tag and filter the threads as appropriate, checking your choices using Print Preview.
5. Use the Print dialog box to specify whether you want to print to a local printer or to a PDF file. Click OK.

Moderating discussion board content

By default, when you set up a forum on the discussion board you and your students can immediately post messages, read and reply to messages. In some special instances you may want to delay the appearance of postings until all messages are reviewed and approved by an appointed moderator. When a moderated forum is created, all posts to the forum are added to a Moderation Queue. The Moderator reviews each post and does one of the following:

• Publishes the post.
• Returns the post to the sender without a message.
• Returns the post to the sender with a message.

The Moderator can delete, edit, and lock posts in a forum, even if the forum does not use the Moderation Queue.

You can choose to moderate a forum when creating it or by editing an existing forum.

Tip: When choosing a moderated forum, do not allow students to edit or delete posts. This ensures that the post approved is the one viewed by users.

Use the following steps to allow the moderation of posts in an existing forum.

1. Access the Discussion Board page and click a Forum's Action Link  to access the contextual menu.
2. Select Edit.
3. On the Edit Forum page, under Forum Settings, select the Force Moderation of Posts check box and click Submit. 
   
   
    
4. After posts have been submitted, access the forum. In the Moderator view, no posts appear because the messages are waiting approval. On the Action Bar, click Moderate Forum.
5. On the Moderation Queue page, the posts appear in alphabetical order by title. Click the column title or caret to sort by post title, author, or date. To review a post, click Moderate.
6. On the Moderate Post page, read the post and select the Publish or Return option. Published messages are immediately posted to the thread.
7. Optionally, type feedback in the text box.
8. Click Submit.

Note: Though feedback is optional, this is an opportunity to provide guidance, ask questions, redirect a student's focus, and explain why a post was returned.

Identifying if students have been participating in discussions

At times you may want to quickly review an individual student's participation in online discussions. The UTSOnline discussion board automatically generates statistics on the number and length of student postings and compiles these statistics in the Performance Dashboard.

As the term progresses, you can quickly see if students are accessing the course regularly, reviewing course content, and contributing to the Discussion Board. This information can help you identify students who are outside the normal range of participation or needing help and encouragement.

1. On the Control Panel, expand the Evaluation section.
2. Select Performance Dashboard.
3. On the Performance Dashboard page, view how many forums a user posted in. In the Discussion Board column, click a numbered link to view details.
   
   
    
4. On the Discussion Board page, you can view the following information:
   • Forum: Lists all the forums a user has posted in.
   • Total Posts: Click the link to access a page displaying a user's posts in that forum.
   • Date of Last Post: View when a user last accessed the forum.
   • Average Post Length: Lists number of characters.
   • Minimum Post Length: Lists number of characters.
   • Maximum Post Length: Lists number of characters.
   • Average Post Position: View a representation of a user's participation within the threads .
   • Grade: Click the link in the column to access the Grade Center column (if a grade appears).
5. In the Forum column, click a forum name to access a Collection page displaying all the user's posts in that forum.

Can I lock a thread in a forum? 

Yes, you can lock a thread but you cannot lock a discussion forum. On the forum's page, in List View, click the Action Link  arrow next to the thread and select Lock in the drop-down menu.

Locking a thread allows users to read existing posts, but not to create any new posts.