An electronic bulletin board is very similar to a traditional bulletin board. It's a place where you post messages for all to see, and where you read messages posted by others. In WebCT, the bulletin board tool is also referred to as the discussions tool because it allows course participants to take part in virtual discussions.
TO ENTER THE BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM
Click the bulletin board icon or link on the homepage of your WebCT course and the bulletin board screen will appear with a topic table which provides a tally of the messages (unread and total) posted on the bulletin board.
In the following example, there are zero messages (unread and in total) in each of the bulletin board topics.
The topic table of the bulletin board is similar to the folder table in the e-mail tool. Please read the e-mail guide for instructions on accessing folders, and apply the same instructions when accessing bulletin board topics.
The two main topic areas of the bulletin board are all and main. There may be additional topic areas depending on the layout desired by the instructor of your course.
The all screen will display every message on the bulletin board, regardless of the topic area they are posted to. The other topic areas will only display messages posted to those topics. If your instructor has created additional topic areas, it is best to post messages under the appropriate section so that others may find them easily.
A typical discussion messages screen (the all topic, in this case) appears below.
The discussion messages screen is similar to the mail messages screen in the e-mail tool. Please read the e-mail guide for a description of the various links and options provided, and apply the same instructions when accessing the discussion messages screen.
TO READ A POSTING
To read a specific posting, click its linked subject line. The posting will appear in a pop-up window with the subject displayed at the top.
The options available on a bulletin board message screen are similar to the options available on an e-mail message screen. Please read the e-mail guide for a description of the options provided, and apply the same instructions when reading a bulletin board message.
(An extra link on a bulletin board message gives the option to reply privately. Rather than post a reply to the bulletin board, this option allows you to e-mail a response to the author of the bulletin board message you are currently reading.)
TO POST A MESSAGE
You have two choices when you post a message to the bulletin board -- you may start a new thread, or continue an existing thread.
- Start a new thread
To start a new thread, click the compose message link at the top of the discussion window. A compose discussion message screen will appear that is similar to a compose mail message screen. Since this is the first message in a new thread, you must decide where your message is to be posted, and you must provide a subject line.
Rather than selecting who to send the message to, as you do with e-mail, you must select which topic area to post the message to; choose the Topic area from the drop down list provided, as demonstrated in the following screen:
Enter a subject line, and then type your message. (If you wish to attach a file, follow the instructions provided in the e-mail guide.) When your message is ready to be posted, click the post button. You have now started a new thread.
- Add to an existing thread
To respond to a message, and thereby add to a thread, open the message for reading and click the reply link. A reply to message pop-up will appear, similar to the following:
Since you have chosen to add a posting to an existing thread, the topic area and subject line will already be filled in; you do not need to enter this information. All you need do is type your message in the main textbox area. If you wish to include an attachment or preview your posting, use the buttons provided (read the e-mail guide for further instruction on attaching and previewing).
Once you have finished composing your message, click the post button to add your message to the bulletin board.
TO PRINT A POSTING
You are able to print a posting using the tools provided by your browser. With the message displayed for reading, click 'File' on the window menu, and then 'Print.' Further screens may appear, depending on the printer attached to your computer. (For example, you may need to choose which printer to send the document to, or the number of copies to print.)
TO LEAVE THE BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM
Leaving the bulletin board system is as easy as clicking a link to another location. For example, to return to the homepage, click "Homepage" in the breadcrumbs.
If you need further help with the bulletin board tool, look to the top of the WebCT bulletin board screen and click the HELP link that appears there. Remember that in WebCT the bulletin board is also referred to as discussions.
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