Creating a Discussion

Discussions allow students to interact in the course online. These can be graded or ungraded. To create a Discussion, you'll select the "+" plus sign on the right-hand side of the module as we've done for Pages, but this time, we'll select Discussion from the dropdown menu. Follow the steps below (written and video instructions are both available--take your pick).

Video Instructions

Check out the ⏱️90-second video below for a quick overview for how to add a discussion to a weekly module.

Written Instructions

  1. Select the "+" plus sign to the right of the Module title.
  2. From the dropdown menu, select "Discussion."
  3. Select "[New Topic]."
  4. Type the Discussion title in the Topic Name box.
  5. Select "Add Item"
  6. Click on the Discussion title.
  7. Select "Edit" at the top of the page. 
  8. Type instructions for students in the text box. If you need to attach any documents, attach to the text box the same way you would to a Page. (You can go back to the previous page by select "Previous" below.)
  9. Under the Options section, select which options you'd like to turn on for the discussion. This is where you'll decide if the discussion will be graded or ungraded. For Ungraded discussions, you might add Available From and Until dates if applicable, and then select "Save & Publish" to post to students. (Reminder: If you select Save only, students won't be able to see the discussion.)
  10. For Graded discussions, check the box next to "Graded" in the Options section.
  11. Type Points Possible. The default Assignment Group will be Assignments. If you select the dropdown, you can add other assignment group titles if you wish.
  12. Add a Due Date and Available From / Until dates if applicable. (These are open and close dates for the discussion.)
  13. Select "Save & Publish" to post to students. (Reminder: If you select Save only, students won't be able to see the discussion.)

Select "Next" for the guide on creating online assignments.