Assessing discussion threads

You can assess discussion threads against learning outcomes aligned to a discussion topic. This allows you to easily assess learner progress against learning outcomes in Discussions. Learners can view the results of your assessment, making it easier for them to understand their progress against a learning outcome, and locate areas for improvement.

When you assess a discussion thread, a section for measuring learning outcomes displays. Using the scale defined by an administrator, you measure the learner's achievement in each learning outcome, for example, Does Not Meet Expectations, Meets Expectations, or Exceeds Expectations.

After you publish the assessment of the discussion thread, the learner navigates to the discussion topic and views the assessment.

Note the following:

• The d2l.Tools.LearningOutcomes.LoaSuggestions configuration variable must be turned on to enable achievement suggestions.
• To use learning outcomes, your administrator must define a scale for your organization that measures achievement in a course. In addition, you must import or create learning outcomes int your course. For more information, see Align learning outcomes to discussion topics.
• The d2l.Languages.Terminology.LearningOutcomes enables you to choose your preferred terminology for learning outcomes in the Brightspace Learning Environment. By default, this configuration variable is set to Standards however, other options include Expectations, Competencies, Objectives, or Outcomes.
• Adding a rubric to a discussion is optional; it is not required for assessing learning outcomes.
• Learners cannot view your assessment of learning outcomes in a discussion thread until you publish it.
• Learning Outcomes may be directly aligned to the Discussion topic or may be indirectly aligned through the Rubric that is being used to evaluate the topic. Assessment of learning outcomes is available in the Discussion tool regardless of which method is used to align outcomes to the topic.
• To incorporate a word count as part of your assessment of discussion posts, your administrator can turn on the d2l.Tools.Discuss.TextStats.DisplayWordCount configuration variable. When turned on, a visual word count becomes visible in the Brightspace Editor for discussion posts. All words in a discussion post are counted, including filler words such as “the,” “if,” and “to.” The word count is dynamically displayed to learners while they type in the Brightspace Editor (Discussions Reading View only) and it also appears next to posts they have created in the Discussions Reading View and Grid View. Learners can view the word count for their posts only. For instructors, the word count appears on the Assessment page during the discussions assessment process and it also appears inline with the post details in the Discussions Reading View and Grid View. Instructors can view the word count for all user posts.
  Note: To view learner word counts in a non-assessment view (the Discussions Reading View and Grid View), instructors require the Edit any Post permission. To view learner word counts in an assessment view, instructors do not require the Edit any Post permission. Instructors that have permission to assess discussions can see the word count in that assessment view.

To assess a discussion thread against learning outcomes, see Assess users in discussion threads.