How to use the Discussion Group

You do not need to edit your profile to use the discussion group. Editing your profile allows you to use the "last day," "last week" or "tree view" choices.  You can successfully complete an online course and keep your username private without ever editing your profile.  If you are having problems posting, please edit your profile by clicking on the link on the top right hand side of the board and uncheck the spell check option.

Logging in to Edit Profile click edit profile on the left hand side of the screen

enter your username enter your password -- this will log you in

Your real name is already in the Full name box You can choose to put your email address in the E-mail box, but it is not necessary to post. click Save this Information. You do not need to change this area.  Removing your Full Name will allow others to see your username.  Do not remove your name from this box!

To see only your class in the discussion group -- do this: Check -- remember my username and password in a cookie  IMPORTANT: Also check -- clear the cookie when I exit my browser. Check -- if available, I would like to have the "Last Day," "Last Week," and "Tree View" shortcuts list ONLY my "Favorite Topics" that I define below Click inside the box(es) next to your class(es). We do not recommend checking anything else in this area.  To show this we have placed an X over the other options in the picture.

After logging into your class you can change the view to see only your class by clicking on tree view under Discussion on left hand side of board. When you have set up your discussion group profile, logged in once, and then clicked Tree View, you will see only your class as shown by the example graphic on the right.

EMAIL NOTIFICATION  -- DO NOT DO THIS! Do not enable email notification as it will cause you to receive a separate email every time someone posts to your class discussion group and this is very overwhelming. If you have done this, please uncheck any  box(es) next to the class name(s) that are underneath the statement shown in red below. Choose one or more of the following topic(s) to enable e-mail notification. You will be notified by e-mail of others' posts in the topics you select. You are not currently authorized to read one or more of the topics, and consequently, that topic does not appear on the list below. If you do have authorization to read the topic, go to the main topics page, click on the topic, and supply the necessary credentials. That topic will then appear on the list below.

Start New Thread Your instructor may prefer that you start a new thread.  If so you will see start new thread on the bottom of the threads as shown on the right. Click Start New Thread.

Then type in a subject for the new thread Choose an Emoticon if you wish.   Now click inside the Add a Message, where you will type the body of your message.   Enter your username and password

Add a Message Some instructors prefer that you continue a discussion they have started. If so you will not see the Start New Thread button, and so you can ignore the instructions pertaining to it.  If this is true of your class, start your tutorial with the ADD A MESSAGE box shown on the right. The Add a Message box is where you will type the body of your message.   Then enter your username and password and click Preview/Post Message.

Preview/Post and Post Buttons Clicking the preview/post button does not post your message to the discussion group, instead it shows you a "preview" of what your message will look like.  If you are satisfied with your posting click on the "Post This Message" button as shown to the right.  If you wish to change your posting, change it in the "add a message" box, scroll to the bottom of the screen, and click the "Preview/Post" message button again. After you are through with your message you will have to "refresh" or "reload" the frame to see it. To do this click on the word "View" at the top of the screen, and then click on either "reload" or "refresh." If you have Netscape Gold you will "reload" the frame. If you have Internet Explorer you will "refresh" the frame. In Communicator, right click on the message area, and choose "Reload Frame."

The discussion group at BCCOnline has several nice features which are easy to learn to use.  You will easily learn to color your text, add a link, and add an image to your posting.

Adding Colored Text

Adding colored text in the discussion group is simple.

All special formatting in the discussion group is done with the same formatting style:

\code{arguments or text to be formatted} so to make your text red you would do this:

\red{The text inside of the two brackets will be red}.  Following is a table showing the different colors you can use in the discussion group, along with their codes and an example of what the colored text would look like.

Link and Clipart Information

Standard clipart has been provided for students to use in their postings.  Using this clipart is easy.  The table below contains the clipart command. The table also contains a link to the available clipart, or you can click here to see an index of the clipart.  After you have gone to the index of the clipart you should see all the images, but if you don't just hit the "reload" or "refresh" button.

To insert a link in our discussion group follow the formatting codes below.

To place a link for the BCCOnline Homepage copy and paste this text into the "Add a Message" box:

\link{http://www.bcconline.com/index.shtml,BCCOnline's Homepage}

and you will have a link to our homepage in your posting. If you still don't know how to copy and paste, you can write down the information in larger, red letters above, and then rewrite it carefully in the discussion group. 

That's it!  Now you know how to use our discussion group area!

Attention Tutors!

If you are a tutor you must now email the webmaster for an account so you can post to the discussion group.

If you still cannot access the discussion group check your enrollment status by going to https://ias.barstow.cc.ca.us/ and entering the student area.  If the registration area shows that you are enrolled in the course, fill out the form below and you will receive a response within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, excluding weekends and holidays. 

Final Solution:

If you have completed all the steps above -- confirmed your enrollment -- and you still can't get into your course, then you can email techhelp@bcconline.com to get help from the Instructional Technology Staff. Remember that if you do not give all the information below in your email, the support staff will not be able to help you.

Password Problem Form

What is your name? 

What is your email address? 

What class are you enrolled in?

what is your teacher's name?

What is your full name?

What is your username?

What is your password?

When did you enroll?

Type the following into your email.

I have confirmed my enrollment by going to http://bcregweb.barstow.edu/ and know that I am enrolled in the course I am attempting to enter. I am not using capitals in my username and I have waited forty-eight hours since I enrolled. I realize classes are not available until the weekend before the class starts and I am not attempting to access a course which is not available yet.

You will receive a reply to your email within 24 hours (excluding weekends and holidays).  It is to your benefit to double check your enrollment if your username and password are not working, as the registration period for these class is over soon after the class begins.