(Settings → Topics)

Instructors have the ability to require that students tag new Posts with Topics. In order to do this, instructors must first have Topics for students to choose.

To add a custom Topic, click the Create New Topic button in the Topic settings menu (See Creating, Using, and Deleting Topics). Aim to add Topics before the course starts so that they can be selected for specific course content. Topics work best when the title includes information about the content rather than only focusing on the course structure. For example, instead of using “Marketing 101“ or “Week 2“ as a Topic, use “Buyer Journey“ or “Wk2 - Buyer Journey“.  

Then, to require that students tag each new Post with a Topic, follow these steps:

1. Click on Settings in the left-hand menu.
2. Click on Participation under Settings. (Note: this will only work if you've already created one or more Topics.)
3. On the "Creating a New Post" box, click Edit.
4. Click + Add Condition.
5. Click "Must have Topic".
6. Click Update.
7. Scroll to the bottom of the Participation page and click the SAVE CHANGES button.

For more on requiring Topics for points, see Creating, Using, and Deleting Topics and Requiring Specific Topics for New Posts.

Why? We suggest requiring Topics because they help learners find content. Some of the data analytics are also based on Topics, which are really only useful when students use Topic tags. These metrics tell you what is interesting to learners and what might need more coverage in class.