Discussions tool

What is Possible with ICON’s Discussion Tool?

• Engage in asynchronous (not real-time) conversations with classmates.
• Create forums and topics (sub-forums) for different subject matter.
• Include images and links in messages, in forum descriptions, and in topic descriptions.
• Create private discussion groups for selected individuals.
• Allow anonymous postings.
• Link discussions with specific items in the Content area.
• Distribute documents by attaching them to messages.
• Enhance student learning:
• Prepare students for in-class discussion by asking them to post a comment or question prior to class
• Stimulate thinking by posting questions about readings
• Encourage participation by shy students
• Encourage more thoughtful responses than might be given in real-time discussions
• Students can create public discussion forums and topics (open to all course members) and allow anonymous postings. This capability cannot be disabled; however, designers can override the Anonymous Messages setting for student-created forums and even delete those forums and topics, if desired. Students, by contrast, cannot delete forums or topics or change an Anonymous Messages setting once it is set; nor can students set release conditions for forums or topics.

18 May 2005

Adding a Discussion Forum

A discussion forum (e.g., Civil War) is an umbrella label for a group of discussion topics (Generals, Battles, etc.). 

You can allow the entire class to participate in a forum or you can restrict forum participation to certain individuals or groups.

The forum description can include images, as well as links to course files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites.

To create a forum:

1. Click Discussions in the NavBar.
2. Click Create New Forum.
3. Enter a title.
4. Enter a description (optional).

Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. It also allows you to insert images and add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites. (Click the HTML Editor icon. In the popup window, click the Insert Image icon or the Insert QuickLink icon.)

5. If you wish to allow anonymous postings (names not displayed), click Allow anonymous messages. Note: Instructor-Designers (only) can view an anonymous sender's name by clicking the Anonymous link in the preview pane at the bottom of an open message. The student Online help for ICON informs students that instructors have this capability.
6. If you wish to create the forum now but hide it from other participants until a later time, click Hide.
7. To make the forum available immediately, click no set start date.  To specify a future availability date, click Start date and select the date from the dropdown list or the tiny calendar to the right of the droplists.
8. Click Save.  (You’ll add topics and participation restrictions (if any) after you save the forum.)
9. Click Back (upper left) to return to the main Discussions page.  The forum will not display on the main Discussions page until you have added at least one topic.

To restrict participation in the forum to members of a group or to students who have completed a specified online task, see Restricting Participation in a Discussion Forum or Topic.

Note: Students can create public discussion forums and topics (open to all course members) and allow anonymous postings. This capability cannot be disabled; however, designers can override the Anonymous Messages setting for student-created forums and even delete those forums and topics, if desired. Students, by contrast, cannot delete forums or topics or change an Anonymous Messages setting once it is set; nor can students set release conditions for forums or topics.

5 October 2007

Adding a Discussion Topic

A Topic is the area where students post messages on a particular subject; a forum may have multiple topics. 

The topic description can include images, as well as links to course files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites.

1. If you haven’t yet created the forum, do so now (see Adding a Forum).  (The forum will not display on the main Discussions page until you add at least one topic.)
2. From the main Discussions page (you can get there by clicking Discussions in the NavBar), select Modify Forums and Topics (top left).
3. Click Add Topic (to the right of the forum name).
4. Enter a topic title.
5. Enter a description (optional).

Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers formatting options and allows you to insert images and add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites. (Click the HTML Editor icon. In the popup window, click the Insert Image icon or the Insert QuickLink icon.)

6. If you wish to create the topic now but hide it from other participants until a later time, click Hide.
7. To make the topic available immediately, click no set start date.  To specify a future availability date, click Start date and select the date from the dropdown list or by accessing the calendar to the right of these menus.
8. Click Save.  (You’ll add special release conditions, if any, after you save the topic.)  The topic will be listed under the forum name.
9. Click Back to Discussion (bottom center) to return to the main Discussions page.  Now that you have added a topic, the forum and topic are displayed.

To restrict participation in the topic to members of a group or to students who have fulfilled a specified online task, see Restricting Participation in a Discussion Forum or Topic.

Modifying/Deleting Discussion Forums and Topics

1. Click Discussions in the Navbar.
2. Click Modfiy Forums & Topics (top).

Note: Clicking the Edit icon next to a forum or topic name presents all the same options except the ability to delete a forum.

3. Enter your modifications:

• To delete a forum or topic, click the checkbox by the forum or topic name and then click Delete.
• To modify the Anonymous Messages setting for a forum, select (or de-select) the Anonymous Messages checkbox. The new setting will apply to only to topics you create after you you change the setting, not to messages you've already created. Note: The Anonymous Message setting for a forum applies to all the topics in that forum.
• To modify date and time availability, click the forum or topic name and change the settings under Availability.
• To modify restrictions based on group membership or completion of a task, delete the previous version by clicking the Remove this Condition icon next to the restriction description. Then click Create and Attach and create the new restriction (see Restricting Participation in a Discussion Forum or Topic).

Note: Students can create public discussion forums and topics (open to all course members) and allow anonymous postings. This capability cannot be disabled. However, designers can override the Anonymous Messages setting for student-created forums and even delete those forums and topics. Students, by contrast cannot delete topics or change an Anonymous Messages setting once it is set; nor can they set release conditions for forums or topics.

6 December 2007

Restricting Participation in Discussion Forums/Topics

You can restrict participation in discussions to members of a group you created using the Classlist Manage Groups too or to members of a section (assuming your course includes multiple sections mapped into one course). You can also restrict access to students who have fulfilled a specified online task, such as viewing a content file. 

Students who don’t meet your specified requirements will not see the link to the restricted forum or topic.

Restricting Participation to Members of a Section or Group

Before you begin:

• If you wish to restrict access to a group and you haven't yet defined the group, do so now. (See Creating Groups).
• If you haven't yet created and saved the discussion forum and topic(s), do so now. (See Adding a Discussion Forum and  Adding a Discussion Topic). 

Note:  Alternatively, you can have ICON create and name the topic(s) for you (see Step 3 below).

Now you’re ready to set up restricted access.

1. On the main Discussions page (click Discussions in the NavBar), click Set Group and Section Restrictions button.  (If this button says "Set Group Restrictions," ignore all references to "sections" in these instructions.)
2. Select the desired group or section from the Group Type: dropdown list at the top of the page.  The page will reconfigure to include a column for the selected group(s) and or section.
3. Use the checkboxes to indicate which groups or sections can access the restricted forums (grey backgrounds) and/or topics (white backgrounds).

   Note: If you would like ICON to automatically create discussion topics for you:

   1. Click Automatically Create Restricted Topics. 
   2. Then select a Forum and click Create.  The name of each topic will be the name of the group type followed by the name of the group.

4. If you want the restriction to take effect immediately, click the Yes button under Restricted.  (Alternatively, you can return to this screen and click Yes at a later date.)
5. Click Submit.

Important notes:

• If you want to restrict access to a certain group (or groups) within a section—but not to the entire section—be sure the boxes in the Section column are unchecked. Otherwise, ICON will allow access to all students in the section, not just to students in the group(s) you selected.
• If you restrict access to a forum and a particular topic in that forum, students will need to meet both sets of requirements (for the forum and the topic) in order to access the topic.

Restricting Participation to Students Who Have Completed an Online Task

1. Create and save the discussion forum and/or topic (see Adding a Discussion Forum and Adding a Discussion Topic).
2. On the main Discussions page (click Discussions in the NavBar), click the  Edit Forum icon next to the forum name, hyperlinked forum, or topic name.
3. Click Add New under Additional Release Conditions
4. Select the Condition Type from the dropdown list, and then select the specific course component the student must have completed.
5. Click Save.

Important note: If you enter more than one selective release condition for a forum or topic (e.g., viewing a content module and submittimg a dropbox assignment), students will need to satisfy each of the conditions (not just one) in order to access that forum or topic.

2 February, 2007

Adding a Discussion Message

A can include images, as well as links to course files, to other areas of your ICON course, and to external websites.

1. Click Discussions in the NavBar.
2. Click the Topic name.
3. Click Add Message.
4. Type your Subject.
5. Type your message in the textbox OR in the .HTML editor window.

Note: ICON's built-in HTML editor offers various formatting options. It also allows you to insert images or add links to content files, to other areas of your ICON course, or to external websites. Click the Edit HTML icon to open the popup window.

• To add an image, click the Insert Image icon, click Course Image to browse for an image on your ICON site or or Upload Image to browse for an image on your computer. Then click Insert on both popup windows to close them.
• To add a link, click the Insert QuickLink icon. From the Category dropdown menu, choose URL (to browse for an external website) or choose an ICON tool name or CD Rom. Type a caption for your link. Then click Insert on both popup windows to close them.
6. To attach a file, click Browse, and then select and Open the file on your desktop.
7. Click Submit.

30 March 2007