Using the Discussions Area in WebCT

Threaded Discussions

Threaded discussions work very much like an email inbox. Members of a threaded discussion board can create messages and post them to the board for other members to view. However, members can also reply to posted messages and create a thread, or a hierarchical history of posts and replies. Replies to a message are grouped underneath the original message so that the reply history can easily be tracked.

How to Access a Discussion Area

  1. Log in to your course in WebCT.
  2. Click on "Discussions" from the menu on the left.
  3. Find the "Topic" or specific threaded discussion area that you want to enter and click on its title.

How to View Posts

  1. Log in to a course in WebCT and enter the discussion area in which you want to view a post.
  2. Click on a message's title to read it.
    • Newly posted messages (that you have not yet read) appear in bold.
    • Posts which have replies will appear with a plus sign to the left of the title. Click this plus sign to reveal the post's thread, or nested replies. Then click on any of these messages to view them.

How to Create a Post or a Reply

  1. Log in to a course in WebCT and enter the discussion area in which you want to post.
  2. Now either:
    1. Create a new message by clicking "Create Message." Enter a title for the message and then enter your message in the large "Message" area. Click "Post" when you are finished, or click "Save Draft" if you want to save the message but not post it quite yet. NOTE: While there is an option to attach a file from your computer, it is best to enter your primary content in the provided box.
      Or
    2. Reply to an existing message by clicking on a message to which you want to reply, and then pressing "Reply." Follow the directions above for entering a title and message and posting it.

How to Review Posts

Sometimes a professor will allow you to review other posts. This is a unique feature that can help you get feedback from other members of your discussion area on your posts and replies. To review a posted message;

  1. Log in to a course in WebCT and enter the discussion area in which you want to read and review posts.
  2. Find a post or reply you want to review and click on its title. Use the directions above if you can't find the message right away.
  3. Click "Review this post" and fill our the form that appears. Then click Save at the bottom of the window (or cancel to close the form without saving it).
  4. To view other student's reviews on a post, click "View All Reviews". This option may not be available, depending on the settings your professor used for the discussion area.