Posting and replying to messages

Posting a message in Discussions

1. Click on the topic where you want to post a message.

Click on the topic

2. Click Reply to Thread.

Reply to Thread

3. Enter a Subject and Message.

4. Set any other message options you want. (These options may not be available, depending on the course and the topic.)

To	Do this
Keep the message at the top of the list	Select Pin message.
Post your message anonymously	Select Author anonymously.
Receive updates on the thread via your selected notification method	Select Subscribe to updates to this thread.
Attach a file	In the Attachments area, click Add a File and locate the file you want to attach. You can attach as many files as you want.
Attach an audio recording	In the Attachments area, click Record Audio. Ensure your microphone is set up correctly and click Record. Click Flash Settings to make adjustments to your microphone selection and volume. Click Play to listen to your recording. Click Clear to erase your recording.
Post your message to more than one topic simultaneously	Click Show the posting options. Click Add Topics, and select the topics you would like your message to appear in. To post in every topic simultaneously, select the field at the top or bottom of the topic list.

6. Click Post.

If the topic is moderated, your message will not appear until a moderator approves it. Moderated topics will display the Posts require approval icon beside the topic name in the Discussion list. Inside the topic, messages that that still require approval display the Message Requires Approval icon beside the message's name.

Saving a draft message in discussions

You can save your message as a draft instead of posting it right away. Saving a draft lets you return to the message later to edit it before posting it to the topic.

To save a draft, click Save Draft instead of Post.

To find a saved draft, view the message list for the topic where you created the draft and select Draft from the View drop-down list, then click Apply.

Note: Depending on your system configuration, you may not have this option enabled. If you would like the option to save message drafts, contact your site administrator or your VU Collaborate Account Manager.

Replying to a message in Discussions

1. Locate the message you want to reply to.

Do one of the following:

If you're using the Grid View message list, click on the message you want to reply to, then click Reply.
If you're using the Reading Style message list, click Reply beneath the header of the message you want to reply to.

2. Enter your reply in the Message field. To include the original message as text in your reply, click the Add Original Message Text link. (This option may already be enabled by your course administrator.)

3. Set any other message options you want. (These options may not be available, depending on the course and the topic)

To	Do this
Receive updates on the thread via your selected notification method	Select Subscribe to updates to this thread.
Attach a file	In the Attachments area, click Add a File and locate the file you want to attach. You can attach as many files as you want.
Attach an audio recording	In the Attachments area, click Record Audio. Ensure your microphone is set up correctly and click Record. Click Flash Settings to make adjustments to your microphone selection and volume. Click Play to listen to your recording. Click Clear to erase your recording.
Make the message anonymous	Select Author anonymously.

4. Click Post.