Forums are an engagement tool that allows students to type and share responses to provided prompts as well as respond to classmates' responses. While there are a number of ways to set up Forums, their primary purpose is to engage in sharing thoughts on topics with one another. 


Adding Forums to Your Course Page

  • In your course page, toggle the Edit Mode toggle to green (editing is now on)
  • In the section you wish to add a forum to, click Add Activity or Resource


  • In the activity chooser menu, click Forum


  • On the next screen, under General, give your forum a title, description, and choose the type of forum you wish to use. Titles should be clear and may contain the due date. Descriptions should include any instructions and prompts you want students to respond to. 


  • Click the question mark to see descriptions of each type of forum provided 


  • Under Availability, you may choose to select due dates and cut-off dates for the forum. It is recommended to at least have a due date for students to respond by. 
  • The next few sections allow you to choose if you want students to see word counts, attach additional documents, subscribe to the forum (receive notifications for posts and responses), etc. 
  • If you would like to include the Forum as part of a course grade, use the Grade section to determine how you would like to grade it, using scale or points. Additional grading methods will be covered in an overview of grades. 
  • When you have selected all the options you wish, scroll to the bottom and click Save and Return to Course or Save and Display



Expectations for Using Forums

  • Use clear descriptions to limit conversation to topically appropriate and purposeful posts
  • Monitor posts regularly for appropriateness and and provide responses or feedback
  • Do not ask for any information in forums that would violate a student's privacy or request unreasonable self-disclosure 
  • Consider forums as you might consider classroom conversation - conversations are only as useful to learning as the directions and management of the discussion


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