The Discussion tool is a communication tool within Desire2Learn that allows for asynchronous communication within particular discussion topics. By creating groups in the Classlist and then associating private group space within this tool, certain discussion topics can be restricted to a specific group of participants, based on group enrolment.

Creating Private Group Space

Creating restricted group discussion areas is an easy way to assign specific groups within your course their own space within the discussion tool. If you have study groups, for example, you can create a discussion area for each that is only available to students enrolled within that particular group.

To automatically create restricted topics you must ensure:

  1. You have created groups through Manage Groups located within the Classlist.
  2. You have a forum in the discussion tool to add restricted topics to.

From the main Discussions page:

  1. Click Create New Forum. Enter “Yourname’s Case Study Groups” into the title and click Save. Do not add any topics.
  2. Click Back to get back to the main discussions page.
  3. Click the Set Group Restrictions button.
  4. Select Yourname’s Case Study Discussion Groups from the Group Type dropdown list at the top of the page.
  5. Click on the Automatically Create Restricted Topics link.
  6. Select the forum you have just created (Yourname’s Case Study Groups) from the dropdown list.
  7. Click Create.
  8. Topics will be created automatically in the forum selected above and the groups that you created in the Classlist will now automatically be enrolled into discussion group topics that are restricted by group membership.

Participants who have been enrolled into Discussion Group 2, for example, will now only have access to that particular discussion topic. They will not be able to access any other discussion group within that forum unless they are enrolled in another group. It is important to note that as an instructor, you will be able to see all topics.