Save Time on the Discussion Board!

Follow Conversations More Effectively!

How?

By Using the Show Options Feature.

On a Discussion Board page look for the show options tab on the right side (or find the tiny red triangle in the middle of the screen). See below.

Click on them and you'll get a row of buttons or options. And you'll get check boxes next to each entry. See below.

Let's look at the buttons more closely

The last button, "Collect", is terrific. It pulls together all the posts with a check in front othem and displays the entries all at once. Like this:

After the Collect button is clicked you will see the first two postings as checked. The following is one screen display.

The "Select All" option or button (the first one) lets you select all the discussion board posts. Checkboxes appear next to each.

The "Unselect" option lets you deselect all the selected posts.

The "Invert" button reverses your selection. Perhaps you want to read 83 of 84 posts. Select the one you don't want to read and then click on invert and the remaining ones will be picked.

"Read" and "Unread" buttons are also very useful. As you have no doubt learned, items you haven't read are bolded. Ones you have are plain text (or the last one read is blue). Perhaps you have read a detailed post and want to reply, but first you want to think about it. When you return to the regular view the item will no longer be bolded. How can you remember to return to it? Select it and then pick "Unread." It will become bolded.

Or you notice that your own posts show up as bolded or new entries. You can go through and select all your own posts then click "Read" and they'll all turn unbolded at once.

I hope these hints help you to enjoy the discussion board.

Created: September 25, 2005. Last modified: September 25, 2005. ©Sally Kuhlenschmidt. Contact sally.kuhlenschmidt@wku.edu with any questions.