A forum board allows a common asynchronous exchange about subjects between learning-platform participants.
In forums, assigned moderators can check and/or delete entries and they are displayed in ILP under an "Updated" tag so that the participants know if there has been new activity on a forum.
Moreover, learners can create new threads, add comments, replies to a forum (if configured in this way) and this new activity will be visible under the same "Updated" tag for the other learners so that they will know to check the new information. If a comment/reply is deleted the "Updated" tag will not be displayed.
If a learner is accessing the forum with the new activity then the tag will no longer be displayed next time the user will access the syllabus for that specific forum.
If a learner is enrolled to a course with already forums created on the syllabus, then the "Updated" tag will not be displayed. This change is only applicable to new forum activity after the user is enrolled.
When a new version is created in the Media manager, then the tag will be "New" and not "Updated".
Forums can be set up so that no comments are allowed.
The content tab permits administrators to create posts. This tab distinguishes contributions from comments, which are displayed in a structured list. Comments are displayed hierarchically under entries. Posts and comments can be edited and deleted. Other tabs include "Classifications" and "Resources."
Deep links allow users to navigate directly to specific forum posts via a dedicated button available on each entry. Additionally, notifications for new forum posts can include a placeholder that links directly to the new entry using a deep link.
Forums can’t be added to catalogues, only available in the course context.
Edge Case: Forum Locked in Syllabus & Linked in Social Media
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Scenario: A forum has lock conditions in the Syllabus but is also added to the Social Media tab.
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Behaviour: Clicking the forum from the Social Media tab triggers the lock check and redirects the learner back to the Syllabus.
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Rationale: A resource cannot be restricted by learning sequence while simultaneously accessible via shortcuts. Bypassing the lock creates inconsistent navigation and invalidates prerequisite rules.
Authoring Recommendation
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Open Discussion: Do not apply lock prerequisites in the Syllabus to forums intended for general social interaction.
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Sequenced Activity: If a forum is part of a required learning path, learners should only access it after satisfying preceding milestones.