When it comes to online learning, one of the most important features that educators can provide is the ability for students to discuss and engage with the material and one another. Discussion boards are a valuable tool for facilitating this interaction and fostering a collaborative learning environment. In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to set up a discussion board on your free Thinkific site, allowing you to create a platform where students can share their thoughts, ask questions, and engage with one another in a dynamic and interactive learning experience.
Note: To use the following steps, you must have a free Thinkific account. If you do not yet have an account, you can sign up for free on the Thinkific website.
Enabling the Discussion Feature
If you want to create a discussion board on your Thinkific site, you’ll need to enable the feature first. Here’s how to do it:
Accessing the Thinkific Site Settings
- Login to your Thinkific account
- On the Dashboard, click on “Settings”
- Click on the “Community” tab
- Scroll down to “Discussions”
Enabling the Discussion Feature on the Course Builder page
- Click on the “Manage Learning Content” on the Dashboard
- Select the course you want to add a discussion board to
- Click on the “Community” tab
- Toggle the “Discussions” button to enable the feature
Adjusting Discussion Settings
- In the “Community” tab, click on “Discussions”
- Click on “Settings” to adjust various options including “Sorting”, “Email Notifications” and “Discussion Display”
Once you have enabled the discussion feature and adjusted the settings to your preference, your course participants will be able to create new discussions and respond to existing ones on your Thinkific site.
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Adding Discussion Questions
Discussion questions are the primary way to encourage students to engage in conversations and share ideas. Here’s how to add them to your Thinkific online course:
Creating a New Discussion Question
- From your course dashboard, click on “Discussions” on the left-hand menu.
- Click on “Add New Discussion” at the top right-hand side of the page.
- Enter a title for your discussion question in the “Title” field.
- In the “Description” field, type in the details of your discussion question, including any prompts or instructions for students.
- If desired, add an image or file to the discussion question by clicking on “Add File” or “Add Image.”
- Finally, click on “Save” to add the discussion question to your course.
Editing or Deleting a Discussion Question
If you need to make changes to a discussion question, you can easily edit or delete it. Here’s how:
- From the “Discussions” page, click on the title of the discussion question you want to edit or delete.
- To edit the question, click on the “Edit” button at the top right-hand side of the page. Make the necessary changes and click “Save.”
- To delete the question, click on the “Delete” button at the top right-hand side of the page. Confirm the deletion by clicking “Delete” again in the pop-up box.
Sorting and Searching Discussion Questions
As your course grows, you may need to sort or search your discussion questions to find specific ones. Here’s how:
- On the “Discussions” page, you can sort the questions by date, title, or status (open or closed). Simply click on the appropriate column header to sort by that criteria.
- To search for a specific discussion question, use the search bar at the top of the page. Type in a keyword or phrase and hit “Enter” to see a list of all relevant questions.
With these simple steps, you can create and manage discussion questions in your Thinkific online course, allowing your students to engage in meaningful conversations and collaborate with one another.
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Managing Discussions
If you have enabled the discussion feature on your Thinkific site and created discussion questions, you can manage the discussions on your course’s dashboard.
Approving and Removing Discussion Posts
To manage discussion posts, navigate to the course page and click the “Discussions” tab. From there, you can view all of the discussion questions that you have created and approve or remove posts from students. This feature allows you to ensure that the content is appropriate and that students are adhering to your guidelines.
Responding to Student Posts
To respond to student posts, click on the discussion question and scroll through the comments. You can provide feedback, answer questions, or simply engage with students to encourage interaction and build community.
Sorting and Searching Discussion Posts
To sort and search discussion posts, use the filter function on the discussion page. You can sort by date, popularity, or unanswered questions and search for specific keywords or phrases. This can help you find specific posts or topics of interest, making it easier to manage and engage with your students.
By following these simple steps, you can effectively manage and engage with your students using Thinkific’s discussion feature.
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Conclusion
Using a discussion board is an effective way to create a sense of community and engagement within online courses. With the Thinkific platform, setting up a discussion board is easy and customizable. Enabling the feature can be done through the site settings and adjusted on the course builder page. Creating, editing, and deleting discussion questions can be done with a few simple steps, and managing the discussion board can be accomplished through sorting and searching posts, as well as approving and responding to student posts. Overall, the Thinkific discussion board feature provides a valuable tool for instructors to foster student engagement and create a collaborative learning environment.