Set Up Discussion Forums and Topics in Brightspace

Set Up Discussion Forums and Topics in Brightspace

Learn how to organise discussions, connect topics to your grades, set availability dates, and give learners clear links to participate

  • Create a forum and discussion topics – 0:41
  • Connect topics to the grades – 1:48
  • Set availability dates and participation options – 2:04
  • Add discussion links to a content page – 6:40
  • Avoid forum restrictions that block topic access – 10:13

Watch the Video

Watch the walkthrough, then follow the steps below to set up discussions in your course.

Understand Forums and Topics

  • Forum: A container that organises related discussion topics. One forum can hold several weekly discussions.
  • Topic: The activity where learners start threads and reply. Each topic can have its own instructions, dates, and grade item.

Recommended approach: Keep the forum available and manage start and end dates on individual topics. Restrictions on the parent forum can prevent learners from accessing topics inside it.

Step 1: Create a Forum

  1. Open your course and select Discussions. If it is not on the navigation bar, go to Course Admin > Discussions.
  2. Select New > New Forum.
  3. Enter a title, such as Course Discussions, and add a description if needed.
  4. Review the participation options, including anonymous posting, posting before reading other threads, and moderation. Enable only the options needed for your course.
  5. Leave forum availability dates unrestricted if you plan to manage access separately for each topic.
  6. Select Save and Close.

Watch in the video: 0:41.

Step 2: Create a Discussion Topic

  1. Open the menu beside your forum and select Add Topic.
  2. Enter a descriptive topic title, such as Week 1: Introductions.
  3. Add instructions explaining the discussion question, what learners should post, and how they should respond to classmates.
  4. Include any expectations for the number of posts, replies, length, and assessment.

Watch in the video: 1:32.

Step 3: Connect the Topic to Your Gradebook

  1. For an assessed discussion, change Ungraded to the gradebook option and enter the points, such as 5.
  2. Use the gradebook menu to create or link the appropriate grade item. Select a gradebook category if needed.
  3. Set a Due Date for the discussion.
  4. For a practice or informal discussion, leave the topic ungraded.

Grade topics separately: You can keep weekly topics in the same forum while connecting each topic to its own grade item.

Watch in the video: 1:48.

Step 4: Set Availability Dates and Conditions

  1. Expand Availability Dates & Conditions.
  2. Set a Start Date and End Date for participation.
  3. Choose what learners can see before the start date. For example, Visible with access restricted lets learners see that the topic exists without opening it.
  4. Choose what happens after the end date. Select Visible with submission restricted if learners should still be able to read posts but cannot add new contributions.
  5. Select the option to add availability dates to the Calendar if you want them displayed there.
  6. Apply release conditions or group and section restrictions only if required.

Due date and end date: The due date communicates the deadline. The end date and its restriction determine when participation closes. Set the end date later than the due date if you want to allow a submission window after the deadline.

Watch in the video: 2:04.

Step 5: Review Participation and Evaluation Settings

  1. Expand Participation & Completion and review the participation options. You can require learners to start a thread before viewing other threads or require approval before posts appear.
  2. Expand Evaluation & Feedback. Attach a rubric if you are using one.
  3. Leave individual post evaluation off to give one overall grade for the learner’s contributions to the topic. If you enable it, review the calculation method carefully.
  4. Review post rating options if you want learners to rate contributions.
  5. Select Save and Close.

Repeat for each discussion: Add another topic inside the same forum, then set its own instructions, grade item, due date, and availability.

Watch in the video: 3:02.

Step 6: Add a Topic to Content

  1. Go to Content and open the unit or lesson where the discussion belongs.
  2. Select Add Existing > Discussions.
  3. Select your forum, then select the topic you want to add.
  4. Check that the discussion link appears in the intended location. Repeat for other topics as needed.

Watch in the video: 4:06.

Step 7: Link to Discussions from a Page (Optional)

Use a page to introduce several discussions in one place, with descriptions, dates, and supporting resources.

  1. In Content, select Create New > Page.
  2. Choose Select Template and select the discussions template shown in the video, if available.
  3. Enter a page title and a short introduction. Add a heading or description for each discussion.
  4. Place your cursor where you want a discussion link and select Insert Quicklink in the editor toolbar.
  5. Select Discussions, choose your forum, and select the relevant topic.
  6. Repeat for each topic, make the page visible when ready, and select Save and Close.

Access still follows topic settings: A page can introduce upcoming discussions before they open. Adding a quicklink does not bypass forum or topic restrictions.

Watch in the video: 6:40.

Step 8: Check the Learner View and Gradebook

  1. Use View as Learner and open Content.
  2. Check that the page and discussion links are visible as intended. Open an available topic to check the instructions and access.
  3. Confirm that upcoming and closed discussions behave as expected.
  4. Return to your instructor view and open Grades > Manage Grades.
  5. Check that each assessed topic has the correct grade item, points, category, and weighting, where applicable.

If learners cannot open a topic: Check the parent forum’s dates and restrictions as well as the topic’s own settings. A restricted forum can block access even when the topic dates are correct.

Watch in the video: 8:24; gradebook review starts at 9:44.

Need Help?

For support with discussion forums, topics, gradebook connections, or rubrics in Brightspace, contact the Educational Technology team.

edtech@okanagancollege.ca

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