Topics can be found within a forum and are usually named after the subject up for discussion. A forum can therefore include multiple topics (for instance: a forum with the title Democracy vs. Dictatorship can contain a topic called Arguments in favor of democracy/dictatorship, and a topic Arguments against democracy/dictatorship).

• Click on Activities in the navbar of your course.
• Click on Discussions.
• Click on New and after that on New Topic.

1. Select the forum to which you want to link the topic or click on New Forum to create a new forum.
2. Below Topic Type you choose if everyone in the course has access to this topic (Open topic) or if all students can view the topic, but within that the topic can only see threads from the group they belong to (Group or section topic).
3. Add a title.
4. Add a description.
5. The following boxes can be checked below Options:
   • Allow anonymous posts if you want to enable anonymous posting. Students will not see the names associated with a message. Messages will only be anonymous for students but the moderator (you) can still see the names.
   • A moderator must approve… if you want to approve every message before it is posted.
   • Users must start a thread before… if you want every student to first post a thread before they can read the other posts and/or post replies.

Below Rate Posts you can choose whether or not students are able to rate posts. You can choose:

• No Ratings if students are not allowed to rate posts;
• Five-star Rating Scheme if students can rate posts on a five-star rating scheme;
• Up Vote/Down vote Rating Scheme for a voting system;
• Up Vote Only Rating Scheme for a voting system with only up votes.

Click Save and Close to return to the Discussions homepage. Click Save and New to create a new topic or scroll up to add Restrictions, or a method of Assessment.