LoudCloud Topics versus Posts

Discussion forum content in LoudCloud comes in 2 different forms, Topics and Posts. The initial content in a thread, as listed on the forum dashboard page or at the top of a thread in a forum, is called a Topic. Topics

The “reply” content on a thread, or the content that appears in response to a Topic, is called a Post. In LoudCloud, Topics are not considered Posts. In the system, Posts are only replies to Topics. Posts

The course homepage and forum dashboard page help instructors identify unread topics and unread posts in the forums. Counter displays total Topics and Posts in each forum Counter on the course homepage displays the number of unread Posts, not the number of unread Topics - there may be unread Topics in this forum An orange bar indicates there is at least 1 unread Topic or Post in the forum

For example, this Topic appears on the QTI forum dashboard page with an orange bar, indicating it has not been read Because there are no unread Posts under the Topic, the Forums widget on the course homepage does not reflect unread Posts in the QTI forum Instructors must check the QTI and Individual Forum dashboard pages for new Topics, as they will not be reflected in the Unread Posts count on the course homepage

When an unread Post exists under a Topic, it will be reflected in the counter on the course homepage, and on the dashboard pages and forum with an orange bar

The Unread Posts indicator on the course homepage, the orange bars on the forum dashboard pages and in the forums, and the post counters on the forum dashboard pages are designed to help faculty members manage their classrooms Faculty members should check the forum dashboard pages and forums each time they enter the classroom to ensure they respond to all student questions in the Questions to Instructor and Individual forum within 24 hours