Discussion Forums
Discussion forums create a community around your courses where students can ask questions, share insights, help each other, and engage with instructors.
Forum Structure
Course Forums
Each course automatically gets its own forum:
- Students enrolled in the course can post and reply
- Threads are organized by section/module
- Instructors can pin important threads
- Students can mark answers as "Best Answer"
Global Forum
A platform-wide forum for general discussions:
- Open to all registered students
- Categories for general questions, introductions, and off-topic discussions
- Useful for building a broader community
Features
Thread Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Discussion | Open-ended discussion topic |
| Question | Q&A format with "Best Answer" feature |
| Announcement | Pinned by instructors/admins, no replies (optional) |
| Poll | Thread with a built-in poll |
Moderation Tools
- Pin Thread — Keep important threads at the top
- Lock Thread — Prevent further replies
- Delete/Hide — Remove inappropriate content
- Report System — Students can report posts for review
- Auto-Moderation — AI-powered spam and profanity filter
- Moderator Roles — Assign trusted students as moderators
Notifications
Students receive notifications for:
- Replies to their threads or comments
- New threads in subscribed forums
- Instructor responses
- Mentions (@username)
Enabling Forums
- Go to Settings → Community → Forums.
- Toggle Enable Forums to on.
- Configure forum settings:
- Allow anonymous posting (yes/no)
- Require instructor approval for new threads (yes/no)
- Enable upvoting/downvoting
- Set notification preferences
Related Documentation
- Blog System — Content publishing
- Direct Messaging — Private messaging
- Reviews & Ratings — Student reviews