Overview
By default, students see all posts made in a discussion. However, you may limit visibility for different discussion configurations. Your Learning Management System determines which visibility settings are available to you.
- Visibility Settings in Brightspace and Moodle
- Visibility Settings in Blackboard
- Visibility Settings in Canvas
Visibility Settings in Brightspace and Moodle
When creating or editing a Discussion Topic, click on Post Settings.
Scroll down to the Visibility Settings.
The following settings are available to you:
-
Visible to Everyone
- All posts and comments will be visible to everyone in the course regardless of any section or group assigned.
- This is the default setting for Topics.
-
Private between Students and Instructors.
- Post and comments will only be visible between the Student and the Instructor.
- The student will only be able to see their own posts and those made by the instructor, but instructors will be able to see the posts and comments of all students.
- Read an article and/or watch a webinar about Private Journaling or Reflection Spaces with Harmonize.
Visibility Settings in Blackboard
When creating or editing a Discussion Topic, click on Post Settings.
Scroll down to the Visibility Settings.
The following settings are available to you:
-
Visible to Everyone
- All posts and comments will be visible to everyone in the course regardless of any section or group assigned.
- This is the default setting for Topics.
-
Students in same Group
- Posts and comments will only be visible to students in the same group.
- Instructors can see all posts and comments for any student in any group.
- Learn more about Blackboard: Groups Sets & Groups.
- Read an article and/or watch a webinar about Effective Strategies for Small Group Discussions.
-
Private between Students and Instructors.
- Post and comments will only be visible between the Student and the Instructor.
- The student will only be able to see their own posts and those made by the instructor, but instructors will be able to see the posts and comments of all students.
- Read an article and/or watch a webinar about Private Journaling or Reflection Spaces with Harmonize.
Visibility Settings in Canvas
When creating or editing a Discussion Topic, click on Post Settings.
Scroll down to the Visibility Settings.
The following settings are available to you:
-
Visible to Everyone
- All posts and comments will be visible to everyone in the course regardless of any section or group assigned.
- This is the default setting for Topics.
-
Students in Same Sections
- Post and comments will only be visible to students in the same Section.
- Instructors can see all posts and comments for any student in any Section.
- Learn more about Setting Section Visibility in Harmonize (Canvas).
-
Students in same Group
- Posts and comments will only be visible to students in the same group.
- Instructors can see all posts and comments for any student in any group.
- Learn more about Setting Group Visibility in Harmonize (Canvas).
- Read an article and/or watch a webinar about Effective Strategies for Small Group Discussions.
-
Private between Students and Instructors.
- Post and comments will only be visible between the Student and the Instructor.
- The student will only be able to see their own posts and those made by the instructor, but instructors will be able to see the posts and comments of all students.
- Read an article and/or watch a webinar about Private Journaling or Reflection Spaces with Harmonize.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I change visibility settings after students have started posting?
- Yes. Changing visibility settings will not delete or alter any posts made by students.
- If you plan to switch visibility from Groups or Private to Everyone, we recommend warning students in advance that this will happen.
Q. How can I set up small groups in Brightspace or Moodle?
- The "Groups" visibility setting is not available for Brightspace and Moodle users. You can manually divide a discussion into smaller groups by doing the following:
- Create a separate post for each group.
- Instruct students to post all comments as replies to their group's post.
- For added clarity, you can make the student names the title for the post or put their names in an image that you use as the cover image.
Q. Are instructors able to submit one grade for the entire group in a group discussion?
- There is currently no way to submit a single group grade that applies to all group members. These grades will need to be entered manually for each student.