This article discusses ways that you can respond to a Moodle forum. If you are not familiar with forums, here are some terminologies that will help you to better understand Moodle forums.
- Discussion Topic: The subject matter to be discussed. Normally initiated by the instructor, but students can also initiate subject matter that can be used for discussion.
- Post: A user-submitted message, usually in response or reply to a topic.
- Thread: A collection of posts under a topic.
How you respond to a forum is determined by what directions you are given by your instructor. The general options are outlined below.
The first step is to login to the Moodle course and select the desired forum link from the course home page.
Adding a New Discussion Topic
Your instructor may request that students enter the discussion topic(s) for the class. In this case, you would select the Add a New Discussion Topic button found just underneath the direction entered by your instructor (as shown by the red arrow).
On the Add a New Discussion page, you will need to enter a title for your topic in the Subject box. Next, enter your topic in the Message area. These are both required fields, designated by red text and red asterisks. The message area is an edit box and has features similar to a word processor that will permit you to format your message. When you have completed entering your message, select the Post to Forum button at the bottom of the page.
Replying to a Topic
If your instructor has requested that you reply to a topic they have created, enter the discussion topic by clicking on the name of the topic. In this example, the title is Topic 1 (as shown by the red arrow).
You would read the topic and respond by selecting the Reply link (as shown by the red arrow). The link takes you to an editing box where you type in your reply to the topic. When you are have completed your entry or post, click on the Post to Forum button at the bottom of the edit screen. You will always be able to edit or delete your own entry or post.
If you do not see a reply button, you will need to contact your instructor.
