The Discussions tool is a collaboration area to post, read and reply to threads on different topics, share thoughts about course materials, ask questions, share files, or work with your peers on assignments and homework.  You can use text, audio, or video content in these Discussions! These are the steps for creating and responding to Discussion Threads.


 Creating a Discussion Thread

  1. On the navbar, click Discussions. Alternatively, the Discussion Topic may be available within your module, which you can click on to access.


  2. Click the topic where you want to create a thread.  If you have accessed the Discussion Topic through a module, you will bypass this step.

  3. Click Start a New Thread.


  4. Enter a subject/title.

  5. Enter your post.


  6. You can attach files to your Discussion Thread.  To do this, click the Add Attachments arrow underneath the paragraph text box.


  7. You can record a video or audio file directly into the Discussion Thread if you would like.


    • For Video files, click Record Video > Allow > Record. When you finish recording, click Stop. To erase your recording, click Clear. To add the recording to your Discussion Thread, click Add.

    • For Audio files, click Record Audio > Record. To make adjustments to your microphone selection and volume, click Flash Settings. To listen to your recording, click Play. To erase your recording, click Clear.

  8. If you have pre-recording video or audio, or you would like to attach a different type of file, you can upload the files by either dragging the files into the Attachment box or clicking Upload.

  9. After clicking Upload, you search your documents to find the files that you would like to upload.  Once you select the file, click Choose.  The file name will display in the Attachments box.

  10. Once you have included all of the information and files you would like for your Discussion Thread, click Post.

Responding to a Discussion Thread

  1. Locate the Discussion Thread you want to reply to.

  2. Do either of the following:
    • To reply to the main thread post, click Reply to Thread.

    • To reply to a particular post inside the thread, go to that post and click Reply.

  3. Enter your reply in the paragraph text box. To include the original post’s text in your reply, click the Add original post text link.

  4. Set any of the following options:
    • To receive updates on the thread using your selected notification method, select Subscribe to this thread.

    • To attach a file, in the Attachments area, click Browse to locate the file you want to attach.

    • To attach an audio recording, in the Attachments area, click Record Audio > Record. To make adjustments to your microphone selection and volume, click Flash Settings. To listen to your recording, click Play. To erase your recording, click Clear. If you have pre-recorded audio and are using a supported browser, you can drag audio files onto the attachments upload target.

    • To attach a video recording, in the Attachments area, click Record Video > Allow > Record. When you finish recording, click Stop. Click Clear to erase your recording or Add to add the recording. If you have pre-recorded video and are using a supported browser, you can drag video files onto the attachments upload target.

  5. Click Post.