WordPress Questions and Answers (CMA) + Idea Stimulator (CMAPET) - Use Case - How to Create an Educational Platform for Student Suggestions

Use Case - How to Create an Educational Platform for Student Suggestions

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Introduction

The Idea Stimulator add-on gives the ability to suggest ideas, which can be improved and approved by other users. It allows users to create ideas and choose how many approvals they need. Other forum users can then engage on and approve that idea.

Use Case Front-End

Use Case Assumptions

In this example use case guide, we'll cover how to let students propose improvements and ideas for new courses on the educational platform.

You can apply the same process for any idea or topic.

We consider that you have already bought the plugin and add-on, but not installed them yet.

It follows:

• Installing the add-on
• Ideas labels
• Posting an idea
• Add-on settings
• Translating interface
• End result

Installing the Add-on

The process is the same for all CM plugins and add-ons.

• Download the add-on from your customer dashboard.
• Log in to WordPress and navigate to the WordPress Admin → Plugins settings.
• Click on Add New.
• Activate it and add the license.

Learn more: Getting Started - Installation And First Steps

Reminder: Adding Forum to Site

When the WordPress Questions and Answers is activated, it automatically creates a page at your.domain/answers/ and the same page with the ajax support your.domain/answers-ajax-example-page/.

You can find a shortcut to the page in the upper part of the Settings screen.

Ideas Labels

When the Idea Stimulator add-on is activated, questions will become ideas. You will be offered to automatically replace all forum labels "Question" into "Idea" and "Answer" into "Suggestion".

Click OK to replace the labels:

Posting an Idea

Let's suggest a new idea for a course on the educational platform. Users can still answer and vote, but will also see the approve option. The form for suggesting ideas is:

1. Add an idea title.
2. Add an idea description.
3. Choose a relevant category (if defined).
4. Define a target number of approvals.
5. Add attachments. One of the attached images can be set as a feature image.
6. Optionally, add a video.
7. Click ADD IDEA.

Learn more: Idea Stimulator (CMAPET) - Attaching an Image or Video to Ideas

How It Looks in the Front-End

Users see the question/idea with the featured image (1), number of approvals (2), and approval goal percentage (3). They can also approve the idea (4).

Add-on Settings

Now that we know how the add-on works, let's fine tune it.

Head to Admin Dashboard → CM Answers Pro → Settings → Idea Stimulator Addon tab.

First, you can mark only specific categories to be ideas. This is useful for a general forum with specific engaging ideas.

• Enable approving ideas by users - If enabled, the approvals input field will be added to the question form, the approve button and the approvals counter will be shown on the single question page. Note on the option only in specific categories: If this option is selected, you will be able to change the setting by editing each category. Read the specific guide about categories.

  

• Default featured image URL - Leave empty to show up the image provided by the plugin.
• Show snippet on the idea page - If enabled, the idea snippet will be displayed on the idea page.
• Show snippet feature image - You can choose if to show or hide the idea featured image.

Translating Interface

The Idea Stimulator add-on includes some specific labels. This way, you can adapt all messages related to idea management.

Head to the Labels tab and edit all relevant text.

Example

Learn more: Settings - Labels

TIP: Translating Form Placeholders Is Useful

The Question Form uses the placeholder "question" by default in some fields. Placeholders are the helper texts shown before a user starts typing on that field.

In an idea stimulator environment, perhaps the word "idea" will be more relevant.

You can change this placeholder from the labels settings. Look for "placeholder" to find these labels.

Here are some:

Learn more: WordPress Questions and Answers (CMA) - Settings - Labels

End Result

Following instructions found in the plugin and guides, you should be able to let students propose improvements and ideas for new courses on the educational platform.

Use Case Front-End

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