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Manual: Forum

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Manual: Forum

Table of contents

1. Create a Forum
2. Specify moderators
3. Adjust settings

3.1 Configure basic settings
3.2 Restrict availability
3.3 (De)activate notifications

4. Adjust permissions
5. Add contributions

5.1 Create a thread
5.2 Add a post

6. Moderate a forum

6.1 Publish a post
6.2 Censor & delete a post
6.3 Manage threads

7. Application scenarios

1. Create a Forum

	Click on «Add New Item».
	Select «Forum».
	Give the Forum a «Title».
	Click on «Add Forum».

2. Specify moderators

Every forum has at least one moderator with special permissions (see 6. Moderate a forum). Additional moderators can be added as needed. Follow the steps below to do so:

Go to the «Moderators» tab.

Search for the person you want to add as a moderator.

	In the search field, enter the email address (firstname.lastname@...) or the ILIAS username of the person until the person is displayed. Select the desired role for this person in the dropdown menu and click «Add».
	Click on «Search Users», enter the search criteria, and click on«Search». You will get a list of search results. Select the desired person and role in the drop-down menu and click «Add».
	If your forum is in a course or group, you can view the member list by clicking «Add Users of Current Course/Group». Select the desired person(s) and role in the drop-down menu and click «Add».

To remove a person from the moderators, select the person and click «Detach Moderator Role».

3. Adjust settings

Configure basic settings

	Go to the «Settings» tab.
	Under «Tile Image» you can upload a tile image for the forum (see also Manual: Tile design). When inserting images, please follow the recommended image sizes (see Notes on image sizes on ILIAS).
	When checked, users can rate threads.
	If checked, posts created by users will not be visible to others until they are approved by a moderator.
	If checked, posts are anonymized with a pseudonym.
	«Save» your settings.

Restrict availability

You can set the period in which the forum can be accessed. Outside this period, the forum cannot be accessed.

	Go to the location on ILIAS where you have stored the forum.
	Open the forum's actions menu.
	Select «Availability».
	Activate the «Temporarily available» option and enter the period during which you want the forum to be accessible.
	If checked, the forum is visible outside the designated availability but cannot be accessed.
	«Save» your settings.

(De)activate notifications

Notifications can be activated for the entire forum and individual threads. If notifications are activated, an email with the content of the post and a direct link to the post will be sent for each new post. As a forum moderator or administrator, you can set general notifications for all course members. Follow the steps below to do so:

	In the «Settings» tab, go to the sub-tab «Notifications».
	Select one of the options for forum notifications.
	«Save» your settings.
	If members are allowed to (de)activate notifications themselves, they can do so for the entire forum or individual threads via the actions menu in the upper right corner of the forum.

4. Adjust permissions

Per default, students have permission to read and reply to posts as well as create threads in a forum. Course tutors and forum moderators have additional permissions. To customize these permissions, follow the steps below:

	Go to the «Permissions» tab.
	To give permissions, check the relevant function in the corresponding column. To revoke permissions, remove the checkmark.
	«Save» your settings.

5. Add contributions

Create a thread

Go to the «Threads» tab.

Click on «New Thread».

Enter the title of the «Thread».

Compose your «Posting».

Select whether you want to be notified about responses to your post.

Save your thread.

	Click «Create» to publish the post or send it to the moderators for approval.
	Click «Save as Draft» to temporarily save the post. Your drafts are listed in a separate table in the «Threads» tab and can be accessed for editing from there.

Add a post

Go to the «Threads» tab.

Open a thread by clicking on the title.

Click «Reply».

Compose your «Posting».

Select whether you want to be notified about responses to your post.

Save your post.

	Click «Save» to publish the post or send it to the moderators for approval.
	Click «Save as Draft» to temporarily save the post. To publish your answer later, you have to return to the thread and click «Publish».

6. Moderate a forum

Administrators, tutors and moderators have special permissions with which they can moderate the forum. Depending on the settings (see 3.1 Configure basic settings) and permissions (see 4. Adjust permissions) they can publish posts, censor posts and delete posts, turn threads into sticky threads, close threads, move threads, merge threads and delete threads.

Publish a post

If the option «Approve Postings» has been checked in the settings (see 3.1 Configure basic settings), threads and responses by course members have to be approved, before they are visible to other users. If a new post was created by a course member, all forum users with the permission «Moderate» will receive a notification. Clicking on the direct link in the notification will take you to the post. To approve the post, follow the steps below:

	For the corresponding post, click on «Approve».
	Confirm the activation by clicking on «Approve Posting».

Censor & delete a post

	Open the post's actions menu.
	To deactivate a post, select «Censor». Enter a reason for the censorship and click «Submit». The post will now no longer be visible to other users. The post's author will only receive a censorship notification if they have enabled notifications for the thread or the entire forum. To remove the censorship, open the actions menu, select «Revoke Censorship», and confirm with «Submit».
	To delete a contribution, select «Delete». Confirm with «Delete Posting». Note that deleted posts cannot be restored.

Manage threads

(Un)Make threads into sticky threads

Sticky threads are highlighted in color and displayed at the top of the forum. They are identified by the note [Sticky] below the title.

	Go to the «Threads» tab.
	Select the relevant threads.
	In the drop-down menu, select «Make Threads Sticky» or «Make Threads Non-Sticky».
	Click on «Execute».

Close & reopen threads

Closed topics are marked by the note [Closed] below the title. They can still be opened and read. However, it is no longer possible to add posts.

	Go to the «Threads» tab.
	Select the relevant threads.
	In the drop-down menu, select «Close» or «Reopen».
	Click on «Execute».

Move threads

	Go to the «Threads» tab.
	Select the relevant threads.
	In the drop-down menu, select «Move Thread to other Forum».
	Click on «Execute».
	Select the appropriate forum from the tree overview and click «Move».

Merge threads

Merging topics allows you to move posts from one topic to another.

	Go to the «Threads» tab.
	Select the thread from which you want to move the posts to another thread.
	In the drop-down menu, select «Merge Postings into other Thread».
	Click on «Execute».
	Select the thread you want to move the posts to and click «Merge».
	Click on «Confirm».

Delete threads

	Go to the «Threads» tab.
	Select the threads you want to delete.
	In the drop-down menu, select «Delete».
	Click on «Execute».
	Click on «Confirm». Note that deleted threads cannot be restored.

7. Application scenarios

The following pages will give you an idea of how a forum can be used:

Zuletzt geändert: 3. Nov 2023, 14:00, Thiel, Anja [a.thiel5]