1. In your course, go to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Select the "New" dropdown menu and select "New Forum"

3. Enter a title for the Forum

   • Note: You may also select the checkbox below the Title field to create a new Topic within the Forum and automatically title it the same as the Forum title.

4. Enter a description for the Forum in the Description field

   • Note: This field should be used to describe the Topics within the Forum. Instructions should only be added to the individual Topics within the Forum.

5. Select any of the Options that apply under the Properties tab

   • Allow anonymous posts: Selecting this option allows users to post anonymously to topics created within this forum. Anonymous posts display with the author "Anonymous" in the thread. Please note that this option cannot be selected alongside the "Users must start a thread before they can read and reply to other threads" option.

   • Users must start a thread before they can read and reply to other threads in each topic: Selecting this option will require a user to start a new thread in a topic before viewing or replying to other threads in that topic in the forum. If this forum requires post approval, users will not be able to view or reply to other threads until their thread is approved. Please note that this option cannot be selected alongside the "Allow anonymous posts" option.

   • A moderator must approve individual posts before they display in the forum: Selecting this option will require a moderator to approve posts to topics created within this forum before they display to users.

   • Display forum description in topics: Selecting this option will display the forum's description in addition to the topic description when viewing a topic.

6. Select any of the settings that apply under the Restrictions tab

   • Hide from Users: Set if the Forum is visible to learners

   • Has Start Date: Set a date and time when the Forum will be available to learners

   • Has End Date: Set a date and time when the forum will no longer be available to learners

   • Release Conditions: Set specific conditions that a learner must complete before the Forum is available to them

   • Group and Section Restrictions: Restrict the Forum to only be available to learners assigned to a specific Group and/or Section

   • WARNING! Setting any of these restrictions at the Forum level will affect all Topics within the Forum. Even if a Topic is visible, has a different Start/End Date, etc., it will still take on the restrictions from the Forum level.

7. Click "Save and Close" when done, or click "Save and Add Topic" to save the Forum and create a new Topic

1. In your course, go to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Select the "New" dropdown menu and click "New Topic"

3. Enter a name for your Topic in the "Title" field

4. Add a Grade Item by selecting the "Grade Out Of" field and adding how many points you wish for the Topic to be worth

5. Type the instructions for the Topic in the "Description" field

6. Add any other settings as needed through the following sections:

   • Availability Dates & Conditions: Allows you to add a Start Date, End Date, Release Conditions, and Group and Section Restrictions

   • Posts & Completion: Allows you to set post and completion requirements for the Topic

     • Default Participation: Allows learners to post a new Thread and reply to other Threads at any time during the Topic's availability.

     • Allow learners to hide their name from other learners: Similar to Default Participation, however, learners can choose to hide their name from being attached to their post.

     • Learners must start a thread before they can view or reply to other threads: Learners cannot see or reply to any other Threads until they post their own Thread.

     • Post must be approved before they display in the topic: Requires you to approve a post before it displays to other learners.

   • Evaluation & Feedback:

     • Rubrics: Allows you to attach a Rubric to the Topic to assess learner posts. 

     • Evaluate Posts: Allows you to set the following settings:

       • Allow evaluation of individual posts: Allows you to assign scores to individual posts made by a learner on this Topic. When selected, two new options will appear:

         • Calculation Method: Set the calculation method you would like to use to determine the overall Topic's score

           • Average Post Score: Sets the overall score to the average score of each post

           • Maximum Post Score: Sets the overall score to whatever the highest score was given on any of the posts

           • Minimum Post Score: Sets the overall score to whatever the lowest score was given on any of the posts

           • Mode Post Score - Highest on Multiple: Sets the overall score to the highest score that appears the most often for all post scores

           • Mode Post Score - Lowest on Multiple: Sets the overall score to the lowest score that appears the most often for all post scores

           • Sum of Post Scores: Sets the overall score to the sum of all individual post scores, but does not exceed the overall score for the Topic

         • Include unevaluated posts in the topic score calculation as zero: Automatically gives a zero for any posts that was not evaluated in the Topic

       • Allow learners to rate posts: Allows learners to rate another learner's posts using 5 Stars, Up Votes/Down Votes, or only Up Votes.

7. Click "Save and Close" when done

1. In your course, go to Content

2. Navigate to the Module that you would like to add the Discussion to

3. Add the Discussion to the Module by doing the following:

   1. If the Discussion Topic has not been made yet:

      1. Select "Upload/Create"

      2. Click "New Discussion"

      3. Enter the information and settings as needed

      4. Click "Save and Close" when done

   2. If the Discussion Topic has already been made

      1. Select "Existing Activities"

      2. Click "Discussions"

      3. Select the Forum the Topic you wish to add is housed in

      4. Click on the Topic you wish to add

From there, the Discussion will be added to the bottom of the Module and can be moved around using the move icon (8 squares) on the left of the Content Topic.

1. In your course, go to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Select the "More Actions" dropdown menu

3. Click "Copy"

4. Select one of the options

   • Copy Forum:

     1. Select the Forum you wish to copy from the "Forum to Copy" dropdown menu

     2. Rename the Forum in the "New Forum Title" field

     3. Under "Copy Options" select if you would like to copy the Topics and/or the pinned Threads

     4. Click "Copy" when done

   • Copy Topic:

     1. Select the Forum that houses the Topic you wish to copy from the "Forum to Copy" dropdown menu

     2. Select the Topic you wish to copy from the "Topic to Copy" dropdown menu

     3. Rename the Topic in the "New Topic Title" field

     4. Select the checkbox next to the Forum where you would like to add the copied Topic or leave these unchecked to create a new Forum that will be named after the copied Topic's name

     5. Select if you would like to copy the pinned Threads

     6. Click "Copy" when done

Once copied, the new Forum should appear at the bottom of the list along with any Topics you chose to copy.

1. In your course, go to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Select the "More Actions" dropdown menu

3. Click "Reorder"

4. Under the "Sort Order" column, select the dropdown menus to select the position you would like to adjust the order of the Forums and/or Topics

   • Note: Forums can be moved around the list, however, Topics can only be reordered within their Topic. 

5. Click "Save" when done

From there, the new set order for the Forums and/or Topics will be set for you and your learners in the Discussions tool. Please note that this does not change their order in Content.

There may be times when a Topic is accidentally created in the wrong Forum, or the Topic fits into another Forum better. In these cases, you will need to do the following:

1. In your course, navigate to the Discussion in Content or go to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Select the Discussion and click the down arrow next to the Topic's name

3. Click "Edit Topic"

4. Under the Title field, select the blue "Change Forum" link

5. Create a new Forum to house the Topic in or select the dropdown menu to choose an existing Forum

   • Note: If you choose to create a new Forum, the new Forum will be named after the Topic.

6. Select "Apply Changes"

7. Click "Save and Close" when done

After that, the Topic will be under the selected Forum. Please note that if you chose an existing Forum, the Topic will not take on any settings from that Forum even if they conflict with the Topic's settings. Check all settings carefully to ensure learners can still access the Discussion Topic.

1. In your course, go to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Select the "More Actions" dropdown menu

3. Click "Delete"

4. Select the checkbox next to each Forum(s) and/or Topic(s) you would like to delete

5. Once selected, click "Delete"

From there, the Forum(s) and/or Topic(s) will be deleted. Please note that if you delete a Forum, all of the Topics within that Forum will also be deleted.

1. In your course, go to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Select the "More Actions" dropdown menu

3. Click "Restore"

4. Select the "Restore" button next to the Forum(s) and/or Topic(s) that you wish to restore

From there, the Forum(s) and/or Topic(s) will be restored and available to edit and share with your learners. Please note that when restoring a Forum you will get to choose which Topics are also restored, however, when restoring Topics you will only restore that Topic and the Forum that housed it.

This section allows you to set up specific Forum and/or Topic restrictions for Groups or Sections that have been created in your course. To restrict a Forum or Topic, you will need to do the following:

1. In your course, go to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Select the "Groups and Section Restrictions" tab

3. Under "Group or Section Category", select the dropdown menu to select the specific Group or Section that you would like to restrict a Forum and/or Topic to

4. Under "Forum", select the dropdown menu to select a specific Forum or all Forums so you can choose which Forum and/or Topic to restrict

5. Select the checkbox next to the Forum(s) and/or Topic(s) you would like to restrict to only being available to the selected Group/Section

   • Note: If you select a Forum, then all Topics within that Forum will be restricted to just the selected Group/Section

6. Click "Save" when done

From there, the selected Forum(s) and/or Topic(s) will only be available to learners within the specified Group/Section.

1. In your course, navigate to the Discussion Topic you would like to reply to either by going to the Discussion in Content or by going to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Locate the discussion thread for which you would like to respond and click on the subject link

   • Note: You can use the "Sort By" and/or the "Filter By" dropdown menus to make specific Threads easier to find

3. Click on the "Reply to Thread" button

4. Draft your response to the discussion post in the text field

5. Click the "Post" button when done

After clicking Post, a pop-up message should appear confirming successful submission. Please note that Discussion replies are available to all learners unless you created private Forums/Topics for specific learners. Feedback should be left in the "Overall Feedback" section when assessing a learner's post(s).

Click here for more info on engaging in Discussions

In the Discussion tool, Brightspace added a Subscription system that can alert you when new Threads or Replies have been posted. Users are automatically set to subscribe to a Topic and/or Thread when posting, however, this option can be deselected. You may manage your subscription notifications by doing the following:

1. In your course, go to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Select the "Subscriptions" tab

3. Under "Display" select the dropdown menu to choose what type of events will trigger a notification

   • All Subscriptions: Receive notifications for all subscribed Forums, Topics, and Threads

   • Forum Subscriptions Only: Receive notifications for activity under all subscribed Forums

   • Topic Subscriptions Only: Receive notifications for activity under all subscribed Topics

   • Thread Subscriptions Only: Receive notifications for activity under all subscribed Threads

4. Under "Default Notification Method", choose one of the following

   • Show notifications in navigation area only: Only show subscription notifications in the "Subscription Alerts" (Chat icon) section of the navigation bar at the top of Brightspace.

   • Send me an instant notification: Receive an email anytime a new Thread or Reply has been posted to a Forum, Topic, or Thread you are subscribed to.

   • Include in my summary of activity: If you have an Activity Summary set up in your Notifications, you will receive a summary of all subscription activities in your email summary.

Please note that you must have notifications enabled for your account if you wish to receive subscription notifications. Click on your profile in the top right of Brightspace and select Notifications to ensure your notifications are set up correctly.

1. In your course, navigate to the Discussion by either going to the Discussion in Content or by going to More Tools and the Discussions

2. Click the down arrow next to the Discussion and select "Assess Topic"

3. Select the learner you wish to assess

4. Review their post(s) on the left

   • You will see all posts from the learner in this view, but you can use the "Posts" dropdown to filter for just the learner's Thread post or Replies to other posts 

5. Enter the "Overall Grade" and "Overall Feedback" on the right

6. Click "Publish" when done to publish their score to the grade book

Please note that if you selected to evaluate individual posts in the Topic settings, you will need to select each post from the learner and assess them individually. Depending on what option you chose for the overall calculation, the Overall Grade will be populated once all posts have been assessed (unless you selected to have all unevaluated posts marked as zero).

Brightspace gives instructors access to detailed statistics for their course's Discussion tool. To access these statistics, you will need to do the following:

1. In your course, go to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Select the "Statistics" tab

3. Click on the tabs within the "Statistics" section to see detailed analytics

   1. Users: See detailed statistics for your learners such as how many Threads and Replies they created, how many posts they read, and how many of their posts have been scored.

   2. Forums and Topics: See detailed statistics for your Forums and Topics such as how many Threads and Replies have been posted, how many unapproved posts are available, and the average post ratings (if ratings are enabled).

You may also use the "Export to CSV File" button to download a .CSV file of your course's Discussion statistics that can be opened in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.

Want to see statistics for a specific Topic or Forum? Click on the Topic or Forum name under the "Statistics" tab, or click the down arrow next to a Topic or Forum in the Discussion List and select "View Statistics".

Grid View allows you to see a list of learners who have posted Threads and Replies to a specific Topic. This is helpful if you do not want to sort through a list of posts and just want to see individual learners. To access the Grid View, you will need to do the following:

1. In your course, go to More Tools and then Discussions

2. Select the down arrow next to the Topic you wish to view

3. Select "View Topic in Grid View"

From there, you will see a list of learners who have posted to the Topic and their last date and time of participation. In the Grid View, you can:

• Mark Posts as Read/Unread: Select the checkbox next to a learner(s) and then click "Mark Read" or "Mark Unread"

• Flag Posts: Click the "Flag" icon next to a learner(s) to flag their post as a reminder for you to check on their post

• Delete Posts: Select the checkbox next to a learner(s) and click "Delete" to delete their post and allow them to repost

• Print Posts: Select the checkbox next to a learner(s) and then click "Print" to print their posts

• Subscribe to Threads: Select the "Star" icon next to a learner(s) to subscribe to their Thread and receive updates

• View Posts: Select a learner's Subject Title to view their posts

Need to find a specific learner or post? Click the "More Actions" dropdown menu and select "Show Search" to allow you to quickly search for a learner or post.

A Discussion Forum is like a category or folder that houses Discussion Topics. It is mainly used to set up specific settings for the Topics it houses, but it can be used to sort your Topics by Unit/Module/Week, content. etc.

A Discussion Topic is the actual discussion that students participate in. Your Topic should have a title with instructions laid out in the description field. Students will then start their own Threads on your Topic, and they will be able to respond to other student Posts.

The first thing you should check is if the Topic or the Topic's Forum have a Start or End Date set as this can limit access before and/or after these set dates. Next, check if there are any Release Conditions as these could limit access if students have not completed the necessary requirements. Finally, make sure your Topic and the Topic's Forum are visible to students.

If you are not seeing an option to assess your student's Post, it is probably due to the Topic missing an associated Grade Item. Edit the Discussion Topic to make sure it has a Grade Item associated. If it does not, you may add a new Grade Item and then you should be able to assess your student's Posts.

You do not have to create a Forum for each Topic, however, you cannot have a Topic without a Forum. Since Forums house Topics, you can have as many Forums as you want/need, and you can have as many Topics as you want under a single Forum.

1. In your course, go to Course Admin

2. Select Groups

3. Click the New Category button

4. Add a name and optional description

5. Under Enrollment Type, select "Single user, member-specific groups"

6. Click on the checkbox next to Set up Discussion areas

7. Select or Create a Forum

8. Leave Create a Topic selected

9. Click Save when done

From there, it should automatically create groups for each learner in your course and create a Discussion Topic in the Forum you chose/created. You can then have a private discussion with each student that can only be accessed by you, the student, and Brightspace Support. 

1. In your course, go to More Tools then Discussions

2. Select the Discussion Topic that has the Anonymous posting

3. Click Show Author next to the post title to view the author

If you are viewing a Topic in Grid View, you will need to do the following:

1. In your course, go to More Tools then Discussions

2. Select the Discussion Topic that has the anonymous posts

3. Click on any of the replies that were posted by an Anonymous author, shown in the Author By column

4.  Select the Information Button (i icon) next to the post date

From there, you should be able to see who posted the anonymous reply.