Q & A Forums

Setup a Q&A Forum

A Q&A Forum ensures that students must make a post before they can see the responses of their peers. However, some setup is required for this forum each term. 

Create a Q&A Forum:

1. Add a new Forum activity
   – OR –
   Edit the settings of an existing Forum or Open Forum
2. From the editing page locate the Forum Type change it to Q and A forum
3. Post all questions to be asked in the Description along with any expectations or examples you want.
4. Setup the your forum as otherwise desired
5. AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH TERM:
   All steps following this one will NOT copy over from backup and restore and failure to repeat this each term will result in students having nothing to respond to
6. Click the Add a new question button
7. Copy your first question’s text from the description above, into the Message section.
8. Provide an informative Subject if more than one question
   – OR –
   Give the single question the Subject of Post your responses here or something similar for maximum clarity

Now students will be able to click into the discussion they wish to post a reply to and will be unable to see the responses of others until after 15 minutes after they have posted their response of which can no longer be edited.

Troubleshooting: Why Can’t students post to a Q&A Forum?

A Q&A forum requires the instructor post an actual discussion question- students can’t just respond to the description.

This allows for multiple questions to be posted by the instructor and allows students to answer them separately.

Post a question to all groups at once in a Q&A forum

This assumes you have a this forum set to use a Grouping.
For more information on groups and their setup see Creating Groups within your course

1. Enter your group forum.
2. Click the Add a new discussion button or Add a new question button depending on your forum type.
3. Enter a Subject
4. Enter a Message/Question
5. Make any other desired changes like attaching a file.
6. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and check the Post a copy to all groups check box.
7. Click the Post to forum button.