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Northern Illinois University

Teaching with Blackboard

Managing a Forum

Modifying Forum Settings

  1. To modify a Forum's settings, click Communication on the Course Homepage.
    Communications
  2. Click Discussion Board.
    Discussion Board
  3. Click the Modify button for the Forum which needs to be modified.
    Modify
  4. Modify the settings. Click here to view details about the Forum settings.
    Settings
  5. When finished, click the Submit button.
    Submit

Locking, Hiding or Making Threads Unavailable

Note: Only those designated as Forum Managers can change the status of threads.

  1. Click Communication on the Course Homepage.
    Communications
  2. Click Discussion Board.
    Discussion Board
  3. From the Discussion Board area, open a Forum by clicking on its title.
    Forum title
  4. Select the desired thread(s) to modify.
    Note: To select individual threads, use the checkboxes at the left of the title.
    Select individual threads
    To select all threads within a Forum, use the Select All feature.
    Select all
  5. Use the Change Status dropdown box to change the status of the selected threads.
    Status Change

    Thread Options

    • Published - a published thread is available to users.
    • Locked - users are only able to read a thread but not make any modifications to it. This option allows grades to be assigned without users updating or changing posts.
    • Unlocked - an unlocked thread allows users to modify and add to the thread.
    • Hidden - threads that are not visible. This option is useful to Faculty who create threads ahead of time and hide them until ready to make the thread available.
    • Unavailable - an unavailable thread is only visible to Forum Managers and no one else.

  6. To apply the changes, click the Go button.
    Submit
  7. Changes in status are reflected in the Status column.
    Status Column

Managing Participant Roles

  1. Click Communication on the Course Homepage.
    Communications
  2. Click Discussion Board.
    Discussion Board
  3. Once at the Discussion Board area, click the Manage button for the selected Forum.
    Manage
  4. Change the Forum role as needed for users by clicking the dropdown box under the Forum Role heading.
    Change role
    Note: There are six main levels of Discussion Board users. Those roles define privileges available within the Forum.
    • Manager - Managers have full control of the Forum and can change the Forum settings, moderate posts and assign grades. Generally, this role is only assigned fo faculty members or Teaching Assistants.
    • Moderator - Moderators can review posts before they are made available to others in the course and have the power to delete or modify posts in any Forum.
    • Grader - Graders can review Discussion Board posts and enter grades in the Grade Center. Since the Grader role has access to the Grade Center, this level of user should only be assigned to entites such as Teaching Assistants. Graders do not have access to the Control Panel.
    • Participants - By default, all students will be at the Participant level. Individuals at this level can read and post but have no other special privileges.
    • Blocked - Blocked users are prevented from accessing the Forum.
    • Reader - those at the Reader level may view Forum threads and replies but cannot add content.

  5. Once all changes have been made, click the Submit button.
    Submit

Blackboard Frequently Asked Questions FAQ


Find more answers...
Are you looking for more information related to Blackboard communication tools? Review the answers to frequently asked questions regarding the communication tools in Blackboard. Also, consider attending one of the upcoming Blackboard workshops.

Last Updated: 05/22/2008