CE-6 Discussion Tool

1. CE-6 Discussion Tool Faculty Features

2. New Location – Always in “Course Tools” Column

3. Organization Scheme • Categories • Topics • Threads (Actual posted Messages) • Create and Manage discussions in both “Build” and “Teach” tabs

4. Managing Your Discussions:Categories and Topics Category Topics

5. Discussion Categories • Group similar or related discussion topics together. • Example: “Week 1” or “Unit 1” that contains all the topics for the week/unit. • Topics • Multiple topics per category • Once one category is created, any topics that are not assigned to a category appear under Uncategorized Topics. • Establish a category, even if only one topic exists

6. To Create a Category Category

7. Creating Discussion Categories 1. Enter Title (required) 2. Enter Description (optional) 3. Save

8. Creating Discussion Categories

9. Creating Discussion Topics in Categories • Click on the “Action Arrow” for the Category to which you want to add topics. • Click on the “Create New Topic in this Category”.

10. Creating Discussion Topics in Categories • Enter a title for the topic (mandatory) • Enter your instructions for the discussion topic. (NEW!!! – Before you had to put instructions in content module pages or as the first post to a topic.)

11. Creating Discussion Topics in Categories - Options Visibility - Show or hide (You can make a ‘hidden’ topic visible when it is time for students to post to it).

12. Creating Discussion Topics in Categories - Options Gradable – Establish topic as gradable . . Week 1 Intro 5

13. Creating Discussion Topics in Categories – More Options • Editable – students can correct errors after posting message (New feature) • Locked – existing postings can be read but no new posts allowed • Anonymous

14. Creating Discussion Topics in Categories – More Options • Category … • Specify category for topic • Create a new category for this topic • Note: Same entries as when using the “Create Category” button.

15. Creating Topics Click on “Save” when finished with options.

16. Creating Topics

17. Discussion Topics Action Items for Discussion Topics

18. Discussion Action Items Go To Topic (You can also just click on topic name) Click on “Create Message” to post a message to the topic.

19. Discussion Action Items Edit Properties – opens ‘Create Topic’ screen so you can make changes to settings.

20. Discussion Action Items Hide Item – Build/Teach View

21. Discussion Action Items Hide Item – Student View The “Week 1” Topic does not show at all.

22. Discussion Action Items View Links to this Item In addition to being in the “Discussion” tool, this topic is also linked to/from the “Introduction” Learning Module.

23. Discussion Topic Link in Learning Module

24. Discussion Topic Link in Learning Module Reduces the chances that students will post to the wrong discussion topic!

25. Discussion Action Items – Release Criteria • Date Criteria • Member Criteria • Group Criteria • Grade Book Criteria

26. Discussion Action Items – Release Criteria: Date Criteria Topic will automatically ‘disappear’ after noon on 9/11.

27. Discussion Action Items – Release Criteria: Member Criteria

28. Discussion Action Items – Release Criteria: Group Criteria • If learning groups have been created in the course and you want to release an item to certain groups only • Note – You can also set up ‘automatic’ group topics for collaborative projects as part of the create group process (The “Group Manager” tools will be presented in a different workshop.)

29. Discussion Action Items – Release Criteria: Grade Book Criteria • Release an item to Students and Auditors based on information in the Grade Book • E.g., Exam grade greater than “0” would make a discussion topic available to students AFTER they have completed a specific exam.

30. Organizing Discussion Topics and Categories • Move Topics • Within a category • Between categories • Copy Topics to multiple categories • Re-sequence Categories

31. Move a Topic

32. Move a Topic Within a Category • Click on the icon to the left of the selection box of the item you want to move the selected topic above or below. • “Select” the topic to be moved by clicking in the box to its left

33. Move Topic Click on appropriate ‘move’ option.

34. Move Topic within a Category “Course Questions” is now above the “Cyber Café” topic.

35. Move Topic Between Categories • Select Topic

36. Move Topic Between Categories Click on the icon to the left of the location to which you want the topic moved.

37. Moving Topics between Categories Click on the option that indicates where you want the topic placed (above or below the topic whose icon you clicked)

38. Moving Topics between Categories “Course Questions” has moved from the “Course Questions and Community Conversation” Category to the Unit 1 Category.

39. Copying Topics • Topics can also be copied to multiple categories by using the same technique. • E.g., “Course Questions” could be copied to each Category so that a question category is available for each instructional unit.

40. Re-ordering Discussion Categories

41. Reordering Discussion Categories • Select the category you want to move • Click the ‘move’ icon next to the category you want to move the selected category ABOVE

42. Re-ordering Discussion Categories