The default forum type is the Standard forum for general use. This forum allows anyone enrolled in the class to add a new forum topic to the forum. Each time a new topic gets added, it is added to the list. Participants can click on a topic name to enter that discussion thread and read or reply to the posts entered there. This is a great option if you want to have multiple discussions going on within the same forum. Just keep in mind that participants will need to enter the forum and then click on the name of each thread to get to the meat of the discussion.
If you are asking the students a single question and you would like to see all of the responses on one page, the easiest option is A single simple discussion. For this option, students will click on the forum name on the main page and immediately enter the discussion thread with your question posted at the top. Students click on Reply and all responses appear on the same page. Students can reply to the initial question, or click on the reply button attached to a classmate's post to reply to a particular response. Each reply is indented beneath the post it is responding to.
The Each person posts one discussion option is the same as the Standard forum for general use, except that students are limited to posting one new topic. After he or she posts a topic, the option to add another topic is removed.
The Q & A forum forces students to post a response before they can view the responses of others. This is a good option if you don't want students to be swayed by what others have said.
The Standard forum displayed in a blog-like format is similar to the Standard forum for general use, except in the way that it is displayed. Each student can add a new topic, but when the forum is entered initially, the first post for each topic is displayed in its entirety, rather than just the name. If participants want to view or respond to the post, they can click to enter that thread and see the rest of the discussion on this topic.
