Discussion Module

The Discussion module is an interactive activity module that enables threaded forum discussions for student engagement. This module type is ideal for fostering collaborative learning, peer interaction, and asynchronous communication.

Overview

Discussion modules are interactive modules that require user participation and track submissions. They support:

• Threaded discussions: Create and reply to discussion threads
• Rich text posting: Format posts with text, images, and links
• Moderation: Moderate discussions and manage posts
• Grading: Grade student participation and contributions
• Notifications: Alert students to new posts and replies
• Search: Search through discussion content

Creating a Discussion Module

To create a discussion module:

1. Navigate to your course
2. Click “Add Module” or “Create Activity”
3. Select “Discussion” from the module types
4. Enter a title and description
5. Configure discussion settings (posting, moderation, grading)
6. Set up discussion topics or prompts
7. Save as draft or publish when ready

Discussion Settings

When creating a discussion, you can configure:

Posting Options

• Posting frequency: Control how often students can post
• Post length limits: Set minimum or maximum post lengths
• Attachment support: Allow file attachments in posts
• Rich text editor: Enable formatting options in posts
• Post editing: Allow students to edit their own posts
• Post deletion: Allow students to delete their own posts

Moderation

• Moderation queue: Require posts to be approved before publication
• Moderator roles: Assign moderation permissions to specific users
• Post approval: Manual approval of posts before they appear
• Content filtering: Filter inappropriate content automatically
• Report system: Allow users to report inappropriate posts

Threading

• Thread structure: Linear or threaded conversation views
• Thread locking: Lock threads to prevent further replies
• Thread pinning: Pin important threads to the top
• Thread organization: Organize threads by topics or categories

Grading Discussion Participation

Discussion modules can be graded based on:

• Post count: Grade based on number of posts
• Reply count: Grade based on number of replies
• Quality assessment: Manually grade post quality
• Participation rubrics: Use rubrics for consistent grading
• Peer evaluation: Allow students to evaluate each other’s contributions

Discussion Topics

Create discussion topics or prompts:

• Topic titles: Clear titles that describe the discussion focus
• Topic descriptions: Detailed descriptions or prompts
• Topic categories: Organize topics into categories
• Topic dates: Set when topics are available for discussion
• Topic locking: Lock topics after a certain date

Best Practices

When creating discussion modules:

• Provide clear guidelines for participation expectations
• Create engaging prompts that encourage thoughtful responses
• Set up moderation to maintain quality discussions
• Encourage peer interaction by requiring replies
• Provide timely feedback on student contributions
• Use grading rubrics for consistent assessment
• Monitor discussions to ensure a positive learning environment

Module Status

Discussion modules follow the standard module lifecycle:

• Draft: Discussion is being created; visible only to creator and granted users
• Published: Discussion is ready for students; visible to enrolled students
• Archived: Discussion is preserved but no longer active; hidden from students

Student Experience

Students can:

• View discussions: See all discussion threads and posts
• Create posts: Start new discussion threads
• Reply to posts: Respond to existing threads
• Edit posts: Modify their own posts (if enabled)
• Attach files: Include images or documents in posts
• Search: Find specific content in discussions
• Subscribe: Get notifications for new posts

Learn more about module statuses and module management.