Creating Discussions in Brightspace

The Discussion tool can be used to encourage users to share thoughts on course material with both instructors and their peers. Creating forums and topics in Brightspace is an effective way for users to ask questions, discuss course content and assignments, and work together in assigned groups and sections.

Discussion Tool Uses

Some uses of the Discussion tool include but are not limited to:

Creating a collaboration area to post, read and reply to threads on different topics.
Share thoughts about course materials.
Create journal entries, ask questions.
Share files.
Work with peers on assignments and homework.

Discussion Forums

A Discussion Forum provides students with an opportunity to participate in virtual conversations at any time and any location. The Discussion Forum is a heading or category that a Discussion Topic will be under. Students cannot write directly in the forum, they must create a topic thread in order to have a discussion post.

Your course can have multiple forums and topics, but you must create a forum before you create a topic, as topics belong for forums.

On the navbar, under Assessments, click Discussions.
Select New and then New Forum.
Enter the Forum Title and Description information.
You may set any of the following posting options:
- Post anonymously.
- Users must start a thread before they can read and reply to other threads in each topic.
- A moderator must approve the individual post before they display in the forum.
- Display forum description in topics.
Click Save and Close.

Discussion Topics

The Discussion Topic is where you state what is to be discussed. Once the topic is created, your students will then reply by starting a thread (see below). Topics cannot be created as without a forum. You must designate what forum your topic is to reside in.

Note: A Discussion Forum needs to be setup prior to posting a topic.

Click the chevron (v-shaped icon) next to a forum name and select Add Topic.
Enter a Title and Description.
You may set any of the following options:
- Allow anonymous posts.
- Users must start a thread before they can read and reply to other threads in each topic.
- A moderator must approve individual posts before they display in the forum.
You may also Rate Posts.
- Options include:
  - No Ratings.
  - Five-Star Rating Scheme.
  - Up Vote/Down Vote Rating Scheme.
  - Up Vote Only Rating Scheme.
Click Save and Close.
- To create a additional topics without returning to the Discussion Foum page, click Save and New.

Discussion Threads

A Discussion Thread is a response to a topic. When a student posts their response to a topic, it will start a thread. This allows the instructor and other students to react to what they have said.

On the navbar, click Assessments and then Discussions.
Click the topic where you want to create a thread.
Click Start a New Thread.
Enter a subject.
Enter your post.
Set any of the following posting options:
- To keep the thread at the top of the list, select Pin Thread.
- To receive updates on the thread using your selected notification method, select Subscribe to this thread.
- To attach a file, click Add attachments and then choose to upload a file from your computer, record a video, or choose an existing file from a different part of the course.
- To post your thread to more than one topic, click Post to other topics. Click Add Topics. Select the topics that you want your thread to appear in. To post in every topic simultaneously, select the Select All check box and then click Add Topics.
Click Post.

Editing Discussion Forums or Topics

Editing a discussion forum gives you the ability to change the forum name, availability and locking options, release conditions, and group and section restrictions. Editing a discussion topic gives you the ability to reassign the topic to a different forum, rename the topic, and change the availability and locking options, restrictions, assessment options, and associated learning objectives.

On the navbar, click Assessments and then Discussions.
On the Discussions List page, click the context menu of the forum or topic you want to edit and click Edit Forum or Edit Topic.
Make your changes.
Click Save and Close.

Add Restrictions to Discussion Forums or Topics

The Restrictions tab allows you to create conditions for the availability and/or visibility of discussion forums in the following ways:

Hide from users: Hides the forum or topic from students' view.
Availability: Establish a start and/or end date for the timeframe a forum/topic is visible for students.
Release Conditions: Create rules and conditions to make a forum available .
Group and Section Restrictions: Restrict a forum to specific groups of students or to make a discussion forum a journal for individual students.

In the navbar, click Assessments and then Discussions.
Click on the chevron next to the Forum or Topic you want to add restrictions to.
Click on Edit Forum or Edit Topic.
Click on Restrictions (the second tab).
- From here you can choose from the following:
  - Hide from users
  - Has Start Date
  - Has End Date
  - Display in Calendar
  - Attach Existing Release Condition
  - Create and Attach Release Conditions
  - Restrict this topic to the following groups and sections
Click Save and Close.
- If you want to create a new forum or topic without returning to the Discussions List, click Save and New.

Best Practices for Discussions

Ensure that there are discussion topics created for your discussion forums
- Forums are used to group topics into predetermined themes, course units, etc. You can only post in discussion topics. If there are no topics created for a forum, then students will not be able to participate in discussions.
Ensure that discussion forums and topics are not unintentionally hidden
- The option to hide a discussion forum or topic is located on the Discussion List page, in the context menu for each forum or topic. The Hidden icon appears beside any topics or forums that are currently hidden.
- Forums and topics can also be hidden on the New Forum or New Topic page (or the Edit page for existing forums and topics), in the Restrictions tab's Availability section.
- If you selected Hide this [topic or forum], then learners cannot see it. If a discussion forum has this setting enabled, all of the topics nested under it are also hidden.
Ensure that there are no unwanted date restrictions set for the discussion forum or topic
- Students cannot access topics that fall outside of set date restrictions. If a discussion forum has date restrictions attached, then all topics nested under it will be hidden outside of those date restrictions.The option to set date restrictions is located on the New Forum or New Topic page (or the Edit page for existing forums and topics), in the Restrictions tab Availability section.
Ensure that the appropriate group restriction settings are applied
- If group restrictions are enabled for the discussion forum or topic, then only students within the group selected can see the discussion.
- The option to set group restrictions is located on the New Forum or New Topic page (or the Edit page for existing forums and topics), in the Restrictions tab of the Group and Section Restrictions section. Select Restrict this forum to the following groups and sections to enable group restrictions for a forum or topic.