Using groups with forums
- Select Turn editing on in the top right-hand corner of your Moodle paper.
- Find the forum. Select the Edit drop-down menu to the right of the forum name then select Edit settings.
- Scroll down to Common module settings and open the drop-down menu.
- Select the Group mode setting from the drop down menu. Groups in Moodle can be set up as “Separate Groups” or “Visible Groups”.
- If you have several Groupings of groups in your paper, select the relevant Grouping in the drop-down menu.
- Finally, scroll down and select Save and return to paper or Save and display.
The table below outlines how the settings affect the use of Moodle Forums.
No Group | Separate Groups | Visible Groups | |
Can students start new discussion topics? | Yes students can start new topics | Students can only start new topics for their own group | Students can only start new topics for their own group |
Can students post replies to other discussion topics? | Yes, students can reply to other topics. | Students can reply if the topic was started by another group member, OR if the topic was started by the instructor and was posted to their own group | Students can reply if the topic was started by another group member, OR if the topic was started by the instructor. |
Can students view other groups’ discussion topics? | N/A | No, students cannot view other groups’ discussions (the topics are invisible to non-group members). | Yes, students can view other groups’ discussions, but they cannot reply to them. |
If the instructor posts to “All Participants” | N/A | Students in all groups can view the instructor’s post, but no student in any group can reply to the instructor’s post. | Students in all groups can view the instructor’s post and reply to the instructor’s post. |
If the instructor posts to a selected group… | N/A | Only students in the selected group can view the instructor’s post and reply to the instructor’s post. | Students in all groups can view the instructor’s post, but only students in the selected group can reply to the instructor’s post. |