Enable option to select the number of maximum posts allowed by students in a discussion assignment.

[candres]

Having an option to select the maximum number of responses allowed to a discussion or question post would prevent students from posting an initial reply, then reposting an additional reply, claiming they "forgot to include this information in the first post". For example, if students are given a discussion question where they need to post a reply by a certain date, and I also include "users must post before seeing replies", I  will occasionally have a few students who post a second reply (before their deadline) claim they forgot to include some vital, additional information (like an elaboration on the answer, or a crucial term they forgot to mention, etc.). The problem is, they got to see all the other students' posts after they submitted their first reply, so they could essentially regurgitate the information they may have been missing in their first post. Currently, I'm just telling students that I'm only accepting the initial post but I would like to have a way of simply limiting the number of posts they can upload (e.g. just one before they get to see other replies and none afterwards).

[MARRILYNNREADY]

I agree. The students often just post "." to activate the replies and copy from other kids. If we could put a reply limit like we have with assignments that would stop or at least lessen the cheating aspect.

[Steven_S]

I get this also, but usually as a reply to their initial post, rather than an entirely new post.  In fact, when students contact me panicked about what they forgot to include that is what I tell them to do - reply to yourself with whatever you missed.  I see this as a learning exercise for the students rather than an exam.  I want to limit cheating, and when I grade I am conscious that details in reply posts came after they saw the work of others, but I am glad that they are learning to create a more complete answer through the process of the discussion.

If you limit initial posts, the next step will be replying to their own posts.  Do you really want to stop students from having a conversation in the discussion forum by limiting replies?  I don't think that would work out well for a discussion forum. 

On the other hand, there are always one or two students that try a blank post... That is why I think this idea would help Eliminate-blank-discussion-posts

[MARRILYNNREADY]

The issue isn't the replying the issue is how they will post a period, or a random letter to get access to the other answers before writing their own. So perhaps the ability to add a word or character limit to the initial post.

[Steven_S]

@MARRILYNNREADY a word count is suggested in this idea: Eliminate-blank-discussion-posts

The suggestion in this idea, in contrast, is to limit the total number of posts a student can make, which would seem to stifle conversation.

[MARRILYNNREADY]

@Steven_S I guess it depends on the grade level you are teaching as to what is and isn't stifling the conversation. If they are posting so many posts/replies that are off topic that is it stopping real conversation then that needs to be taken into account. I teach middle school. The canvas experience is different than college with adults. 

[ProductPanda]

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