Discussions
in Brightspace by D2L
To create a discussion forum
Use forums to organize your discussion topics into categories. Your course can have multiple forums and topics, but you must create a forum before you can create a topic since all topics belong to forums.
On the navbar, click Discussions.
On the Discussions List page, from the New button drop-down menu, click New Forum.
Enter a title for your new forum.
Enter a description for your new forum.
In the Options section, select any of the following checkboxes:
Allow anonymous posts - To enable users to post anonymously.
A moderator must approve individual posts before they display in the forum - To ensure that posts are approved by a moderator before they display in the forum.
Users must start a thread before they can read and reply to other threads in each topic - To ensure user participation.
Display forum descriptions in topics - To provide instructors with the option to display a discussion forum description within a discussion topic description.
In the Restrictions tab, in the Availability section, select the Hide from Users checkbox to set the stats of the forum.
Select Locking Options for your forum. Locking a forum prevents users from posting to any of its associated topics until it is unlocked; they can still read a post made to a topic prior to it being locked.
Click Save and Close
VIDEO Below
Designing Effective Discussion Opportunities
Creating a Discussion Topic
Your course can have multiple forums and topics, but you must create a forum before you can create a topic since all topics belong to forums.
If the updated group discussions interface has been turned on by your administrator:
On the navbar, click Discussions.
On the Discussions List page, from the New button, click New Topic.
From the drop-down list, select the forum you want to put your topic in. If you want to create a new forum for your topic, click New Forum.
To grant everyone access to the topic and restrict learners to only see threads from their own group or section, under Topic Type, select Group or section topic.
Note: You cannot edit the topic type once you save the topic.Enter your New Topic Details.
On the Restrictions tab, select Availability options for your topic.
Select Locking Options for your topic. Locking a topic prevents users from posting to it until it is unlocked; they can still read a post made prior to it being locked.
Click Save and Close.
If you are using the default group discussions interface:
On the navbar, click Discussions.
On the Discussions List page, from the New button, click New Topic.
From the drop-down list, select the forum you want to place your topic in. If you want to create a new forum for your topic, click New Forum.
Enter your New Topic Details.
On the Restrictions tab, select Availability options for your topic.
Select Locking Options for your topic. Locking a topic prevents users from posting to it until it is unlocked; they can still read a post made prior to it being locked.
Click Save and Close.
See VIDEO below.
About moderated discussion topics
If you would like a topic to require post-approval or moderation, posts will only appear to users after you have approved them. You must manually approve these posts to make them visible to all users.
You can enable and disable post approval from the Properties tab when creating or editing a forum or topic. Once you enable post-approval, a Moderated notification appears beside the forum or topic name.
If a post is not appropriate for the topic and you do not want to approve it, you can do any of the following:
- Leave the post unapproved.
- Edit the post before approving it.
- Delete the post.
There is a video demonstration embedded above this text.
Here are the directions:
- Access the Discussion Tool
- Click on the inverted chevron beside the title of your Forum / Thread
- Choose edit forum/thread from the drop-down
- Navigate below the body of the message of your Forum or Topic to "Options"
- Click beside "A moderator must approve individual posts before they display in the forum"
- Once you've selected the settings in options click on "Save and Close"
- Repeat these steps for any other forums or topics that you would like to moderate.
To Moderate:
Click on the inverted chevron beside the student post - selected the desired outcome from the drop-down
You will then see a pop-up message reflecting the choice for moderation - If you need to edit the status go back to the student response and click on the inverted chevron and select the desired status from the drop-down.
Embed Code for Learner Instructions - Use "Insert Stuff" paste into embed option.
Creating Good Discussion Questions
Keep questions open-ended to elicit critical thinking considering Bloom's Taxonomy
Consider :
What is the purpose of the discussion?
Does the question/prompt foster dialogue?
Does it make students think?
Synthesis Questions:
Can you see a possible solution to …
What can be designed to ….
Analysis Questions:
What assumptions exist?
What is the relationship between…
What inconsistencies exist..
Application Questions:
Predict what would happen if…
Judge the aspects of…
Can you group characteristics such as…
Other Alternatives:
Debates
Peer Review / Feedback
Project-Based Prompts
Role Play / Comic Creation
Case Studies
Compare and contrast
Cause and effect
Clarification - what is meant by … explain how.
Kelly MacDougall ~ District eLearning Contact
Email: Kelly.MacDougall@dpcdsb.org
Website: https://dpcdsb.elearningontario.ca
Phone: 905-890-0708 24301
Twitter: @MsMacSmyj