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Element: Discussion

Learn how you can create a class discussion element in your Teachfloor course.

Filippo Schiano di Pepe avatar
Written by Filippo Schiano di Pepe
Updated over a week ago

Hello, and welcome to our step-by-step guide for setting content elements for your module on Teachfloor.

🧠 What Is the Discussion Element?

(see the screenshot below)

The Discussion Element in Teachfloor is designed to create a space where learners can engage with course material and with each other through threaded discussions. It’s not just a comment box—it's a fully configurable classroom discussion board, deeply integrated with your course's flow and progress tracking.

Use it to:

  • Host structured topic-based debates

  • Encourage reflective journaling with peer interaction

  • Assign discussion-based tasks (e.g., respond to a prompt)

  • Enable student-led forums or community support threads

Each learner's contribution is tracked and can be required for course completion.


šŸ› ļø How to Add a Discussion Element

  1. Open the Course Curriculum

    • Go to your course from the Teachfloor dashboard.

    • Click ā€œEditā€ or go directly to the Curriculum tab.

  2. Click ā€œ+ Add Elementā€

    • On the left-side panel, click the ā€œ+ Add Elementā€ button.

  3. Select ā€œDiscussionā€ from Assessment Tools

    • Scroll through the available element types.

    • Under Assessment Tools, select Discussion.

āœ… You’ve now added a new Discussion block to your course structure.

(See screenshot below)


āš™ļø Before You Begin: Configure Shared Settings

Like all elements in Teachfloor, the Discussion Element includes common settings such as:

  • General Settings (Name, Description, Cover Image, Resources)

  • Requirements (set prerequisites learners must complete first)

  • Visibility (who can access this activity)

  • Metadata (internal tags or classification)

āœ… Instead of repeating those instructions here, we’ve written a universal guide that applies to every element:

Once those basic settings are in place, it’s time to focus on the discussion-specific features that define this element’s unique behavior.


🧩 Core Discussion Settings

(See screenshot below)

Let’s break down the element-specific configuration options you’ll find under the Discussion section of this element.


šŸ”§ Learner Completion Settings

(See screenshot below)

This is where you define how learners engage with the discussion, and what they need to do for the activity to be marked as ā€œcomplete.ā€

šŸ“Œ You can require learners to:

  • Create new topics (start a conversation)

  • Post comments or replies (engage in existing conversations)

  • Do both, or do either

These settings are highly customizable and based on numeric values.

🧮 Options:

Rule Type

What It Means

Post at least X topics

The learner must create that number of new threads (discussion topics).

Post at least X comments or replies

The learner must respond to that number of existing posts.

Post X topics AND Y comments

They must create a thread and engage in conversation.

Post X topics OR Y comments

They can choose either method to complete the activity.

šŸ”„ The system automatically tracks these actions. When the rule is fulfilled, the element is marked as completed in their progress tracker.

🧠 Example Setup:

To complete this discussion, learners must:

  • Start 1 topic

  • Write 2 replies

Once both actions are completed, the module is marked as done.


šŸ‘Øā€šŸ« Instructor-Only Topic Creation (Optional Toggle)

(See screenshot below)

This toggle allows you to lock the discussion’s structure, so that only the instructor can start discussion threads.

Toggle: ā€œOnly instructor can create new topicsā€

Toggle State

Behavior

Enabled (ON)

Only instructors can create topics. Learners can only post replies.

Disabled (OFF)

Learners can create both topics and replies freely.

This is useful if you want:

  • Structured discussions (e.g., "Week 1 prompt", "Case Study Reflections")

  • To prevent off-topic or redundant threads

  • To use the discussion like an assignment response thread

šŸ”’ When this is enabled, topic-based completion requirements are disabled automatically (since learners can't create topics).


🧠 Examples: When to Use Which Mode

Use Case

Who Creates Topics

Recommended Completion

Weekly instructor-guided prompts

Instructor only

2 replies per learner

Open discussion forums

Learners

1 topic OR 2 replies

Peer feedback assignments

Instructor only

3 replies with feedback

Journal-style reflective space

Learners

1 topic AND 1 reply

These modes allow you to create dynamic environments for discussion that match the instructional style of your course.

Note: You can select the number of comments or replies from 1 to as many as you want


šŸ‘ļø What the Learner Sees

Here’s what your learners experience:

  • A clean interface showing the discussion title, instructions (Description), and any attached resources

  • A ā€œStart New Topicā€ button if allowed

  • A thread view showing all topics and comments

  • The ability to reply, mention others, and track replies

  • A completion tracker that shows if they’ve fulfilled their participation requirements

(See screenshot below)
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šŸ’¬ Need Help?

Our support team is always ready to help you set up your ideal discussion experience.

Click the chat icon at the bottom-right of your Teachfloor dashboard. We’ll walk you through any questions you have—real humans, not bots!


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