Discussions – Create a Forum or Topic

Ref # - 459

Instructor

Visit Overview of the Discussion Tool to get a general idea of what the discussion area is and how it can be used.

Creating a Forum

In your course select Activities > Discussions > New > New Forum

Enter a title for your new forum and enter relevant information for the forum in the Description area.

Under Options click to select additional forum options, including allowing anonymous posts, participation requirements, and displaying the forum description in topic. When done, select Save and Close. From here, you can create another forum. Or select Save and Add Topic to continue. Select the Restrictions tab to see more options

Creating a Topic

Click New > Add Topic

From the topic edit settings, set the newly created forum by selecting Change Forum

From the given options, if a forum has not been created, select Create a forum > enter a title for the new forum > Apply Changes. Or select Choose an existing forum > from the dropdown, select the forum > Apply Changes

Form the editing page of the discussion topic, enter instructions in the Description area, enter the point value in the Grade Out of box and add a grade item to the topic. To set additional settings, see next point below

Save and Close

Availability Dates & Conditions

  • Start Date – indicates when the assignment is released to students. Prior to the Start Date, students will be able to see the quiz (unless it has been hidden), but they will not be able to access it.
  • End Date – is more restrictive. It cuts off the quiz at the End Date and time set, where the student can no longer start a quiz.

Release Conditions

Post & Completion

Under Post & Completion, select 1 of the 4 options available

  • Default Participation – students can see a post before uploading
  • Allow learners to hide their name from other learners – enables users to post anonymously
  • Learners must start a thread before they can view or reply to other threads – Ensures user participation by making thread creation mandatory.
  • Posts must be approved before they display in the topic – Ensures that posts are approved by a moderator before they are displayed.

Evaluation& Feedback

Under Evaluation & Feedback

Add a Rubric – grade and assess a post using a rubric

Allow learners to rate posts – allows learners to rather posts by either a 5 star rating, up/down vote, or up vote only

Posting a Message to a Discussion Topic

Start the discussion by clicking on the topic heading > Start a New Thread >

Enter a subject title and then text into the topic area > Post

 

You will need to create a forum in the discussion area before you can create the topics that relate to it. Each Topic represents a new discussion. You can create as many Forums and Topics as you choose. When designing this area keep your students and user’s in mind.

Related Posts

Newspaper Icon