This page includes answers to questions asked at the BB 7.3 Upgrade Orientation Sessions. Here we go!

1. When I prepare a BB test for the testing center, can I check the feedback boxes?
   • Yes, you can check any of the 4 feedback boxes. Just make sure you DON'T click "Force completion."
2. When a student receives an email from a subscribed discussion forum or thread, can that student respond to that discussion forum through their email?
   • No, students need to go to the discussion forum in the BB course site to respond.
3. What is "reply with quote" one of the settings when creating a discussion forum?
   • This allows a responder to a thread to click the "quote" button that includes the text that they are responding to.
4. What is a grader in the Discussion Forum?
   • A grader can read, participate, and also grade forums.
5. What is the function of the due date when setting up an assignment?
   • This is to work with the Early Warning System, if you were going to set up a rule to track if students were submitting an assignment past the due date. You would need to indicate dates when the assignment is due for it to disappear from the Assignments area if students attempt to do an assignment late. You will need to indicate in the instructions the due date, as it does NOT show up in the gradebook.
6. What does the subscribe feature in the discussion forum do?
   • If you enable the "subscribe" feature in the discussion forum settings (when you set up the discussion forum or modify a previously created discussion forum), students have the ability to subscribe (or  not) to a particular discussion forum. If a students subscribes to a forum or thread (and you can only choose one or the other in the settings), they can also change their mind at any time and unsubscribe. Students simply click the "subscribe" button at the top of a discussion forum or thread. If they subscribe, then the button changes to "unsubscribe," and they can select this at any time.
   • When you enable student subscription in discussion forums or threads, you can choose to have a link to that discussion forum or thread or have the content included in that student's email.
   • Students CANNOT respond to discussion forums through their email. They will need to go to the discussion forum in Blackboard to do this.
   • So . . . I would RECOMMEND checking the subscribe feature when creating discussion forums. That way, you are providing your students with more choices on how they want to be alerted when a new message appears in a discussion forum or thread.