Community & Engagement

Participating in Discussions

   Watch a video tutorial (2:34)

Overview

The Discussion Board is a communication tool used to facilitate class and group discussions based on a particular topic. The Discussion Board can also be used to coordinate group projects as well as serve as a place to ask general questions to your instructor and your classmates. Student conversations are logged and organized in the Discussion Board. Conversations are grouped into threads that contain a main posting and all related replies.

Step-by-Step

1. To access the Discussion board in D2L, click on the Discussions link located in the top navigation bar.








You will see a complete list of available discussion forums on the Discussion List page.




2. To access a discussion topic to post your response, respond to a classmate, or simply read existing posts, click the topic title link to enter the topic thread.



Titles of the topics will appear first, followed by a short description of that topic. The columns to the right of this will tell you how many student threads (initial responses), total number of posts, and who the most recent contributor was (last post).









3. You can view existing student and instructor discussion threads by scrolling down and also clicking on their post title links to open additional student responses to the threads. When you are ready to submit your initial post (thread), click the Start a New Thread button.





 



4. Creating a new thread is as simple as giving it a title and typing in your post!



5. To receive an e-mail notification when another student or the instructor responds to your post, click the Subscribe to this thread checkbox.








6. Click the Post button at the bottom when you are finished.








7. Your thread should now be listed with the other student threads. If you notice a typo or possibly forgot something in your post, click the down-arrow next to your thread title and select Edit Thread. There are some discussion forum activities where faculty provide you a single opportunity to post and that is it. In these instances, you will not see the Edit Thread option in the menu. Always read your discussion activity instructions carefully.

 

Return to Top

D2L E-mail

   Watch a video tutorial (3:17)

Overview

The e-mail tool gives you an e-mail address of first.last@billings.desire2learn.com. This is separate from you first.last@msubillings.edu e-mail address. Some instructors prefer students use the D2L e-mail for their course just to keep correspondence with students compartmentalized within each course. Your instructor will let you know their preferred communication methods at the beginning of the semester.

While Outlook 365 will likely be your preferred e-mail program for communicating with your faculty one-on-one, there may be instances when you are in your D2L course and would like to either send a quick e-mail message or possibly even chat with your instructor in real-time. In addition, you can chat in real-time with your fellow classmates as well.

Step-by-Step

1. You can e-mail your instructor by first clicking either the Message Alerts icon at the top of the D2L window or the Classlist link on the navigation bar.








2. Click the Classlist link on the navigation bar and then the down-arrow link next to the person you want to e-mail.

 



3. Click the Send Email link on the pop-up menu.








 

4. Once the Compose New Message window appears, enter your subject and then move to type your message in the body.



5. 6.  Attach any files and then click Send.






 



 

 

6. Click the Message Alerts button at the top of the D2L window and select Go to Email.








 

The D2L Email window will look similar to other Email services you've likely used with an Inbox, Sent Items, etc..

Return to Top

D2L Instant Messaging

Overview

The Instant Message tool is a built in messaging tool for quick communication between you, your instructor, and your fellow classmates. This communication method appeals to students who are looking for immediate feedback in a real-time manner.

Step-by-Step

1. Click the Message Alerts button at the top of the D2L window and select Go to Instant Messages.








 

2. Once the Instant Messages window pops up, you can click view the Inbox, Friends list, and the Classlist to locate and chat with your professor and classmates.
   



The Inbox lists all D2L users you have communicated with. To remove someone, select the check box next to their profile picture and click the Delete button above.	Your Friends list can be both instructors and students who are not in your current class but are in D2L. Anyone who is currently logged into D2L will show as online with the little green circle below their name.	Reach out to any of your classmates in the Classlist. Classmates who are online will have the little green circle lit below their name.

Return to Top