Learning Online

Your course instructors will include discussion boards in your course D2L site for several reasons. The most common purposes for discussion boards are to provide a place where students can a) ask questions about the course topics and assignments, b) find important announcements, or c) discussion forums on course topics that are part of your assigned work and are assessed for course marks.

For discussion boards or forums that are part of your course assignments, you will need to carefully review all requirements for your participation. 
It is important to remember that discussion board posts are formal writing assignments and you will need to organize your ideas, check your writing, and cite any sources that you may use to support your ideas. 

In this lesson, you will be shown the first steps to get started on discussion boards. The discussion boards you will be shown are located in the Learning Commons D2L site. These boards are places where you can go to ask for technical help and questions about writing and research. 

Learning Commons Discussion Boards

The LC discussion boards for Research, Technology, and Writing are places you can go to ask questions. These boards are checked frequently and your questions will be answered by a specialist. The Study Skills board is a student space and is where you can post ideas and respond to others. You can access the boards at this link: https://d2l.ucalgary.ca/d2l/le/101176/discussions/List

Research: The librarians who monitor this board will answer your questions about finding the right kinds of sources for your assignments and guide you to the correct databases for your searches.

Technology: The library technicians who monitor this board will answer your questions about D2L, such as submitting assignments, checking marks and more. They can also help with login issues and with Turnitin access.

Writing: The writing specialists can answer questions about APA style, the writing process, and organizing your ideas, and help you in your response to your assignment questions.

Study Skills: This discussion board is where students can help each other by sharing their challenges and how they have dealt with them using supportive strategies they have found and learned.

How to Post and Respond on Discussion Boards: Basic Tutorial [video]

Tutorial Exercise

Post a question or comment on any one of the LC discussion boards, here.

Remember to post questions on the correct board (Research, Technology, or Writing) and to post comments on the Study Skills board. The objective of this exercise is to formulate questions and comments and post in the correct places.

References and Resources

Brightspace Tutorials. (2018, January 4). Navigate Brightspace learning environment - Engage in discussions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WAYt5jQAqc

Create a discussion thread. (n.d.). Briightspace Help. https://documentation.brightspace.com/EN/le/discussions/learner/create_discussion_thread_2.htm

Reply to a Discussion Thread. (n.d.). Brightspace Help. https://documentation.brightspace.com/EN/le/discussions/learner/reply_discussion_thread_1.htm