How to use Forums or Discussion Boards

Discussion forums are recognized by the following icon: 

Click on the appropriate discussion forum. Then click the "Add a new discussion topic".

In this page, type a title for your post in the subject line. Then you can either type directly in Kwe' (Moodle) Message box or attach a file by dragging it in to the rectangle with blue arrow. Finally press “post to forum” button.

Note: make sure that you always type and save your answer in a word document on your computer and copy and paste it in to the message box. Sometimes when you post your answer, you get an error message and all your work is gone.

The following picture shows that you have made a post in a forum successfully.

After submission, if you click back on your respond, you have a window of 30 minutes to edit your response or delete it. After 30 min the only option that is available is the reply button.

In the same manner, you can click on other participants’ posts and reply them with a comment. Please make sure that you don’t use the back button of your browser to go back. Click on the breadcrumbs at the top to go back.

Sometimes the discussion boards have time restriction on them. It means that you won't be able to post after a certain time and it wont be available before a certain time.

Note: Some times the instructor would prefer to post the question or topic of the discussion in the forum and students only reply to the instructor's post rather than creating a separate post each. This way it is easier for the instructor to look at all the responses in one place.

Note: If the discussion forum is in the form of “Q and A” (question and answer), then you won't see other participant’s responses until you submit yours and wait for 30 min for the grace period to be over. Then you can see all other responses and you can reply to them.

Note: If the discussion forums are for a specific group of participants, only the group members see eachother’s posts. When you click on the forum you will see a message at the top left “separate groups” and it follows by your group number or letter or name.