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<h2>Forums</h2>
	<p>A Forum is an area that allows course members to communicate in a structured manner through messages. The forums can be enabled or disabled and linked from the main navigation, the course home page, or displayed as a menu module.  These preferences can be specified in the <a href="student_tools.php">Course Tools</a> section of the Manage area.</p>

	<p>Course instructors and students with forum privileges can manage and mediate the forums by deleting, locking, and sticking threads and messages.</p>

<h3>Creating Forums</h3>
	<p>To create a new forum, use the <em>Create Forum</em> link in the Forums section of the Manage area and enter a title and optional description. New forums will be accessible to all course students, instructors, and alumni. Forums can also be created for access by <a href="groups.php">Groups</a> only.</p>

<h3>Editing &amp; Deleting Forums</h3>
	<p>To edit an existing forum, select the forum in the Forums manager and use the <em>Edit</em> button.  Make the necessary changes and then use <em>Save</em> to return to the Forum Manager, or <em>Cancel</em> to return to the Forum Manager without saving any changes.</p>

	<p>To delete an existing forum, select the forum in the Forums manager and use the <em>Delete</em> button. The forum and all threads and messages within it will be deleted.</p>

<h3>Shared Forums</h3>
	<p>Shared forums are special forums where members of different courses can engage in discussions with one another. The instructors, and students with forum privileges, of each participating course can manage and moderate the shared forum. Shared forums can only be created by an administrator.</p>

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