In discussion component authoring -> advanced view (accessible via the wrench icon), the author can enable/disable cross-period discussion via the option "Students can discuss with students from all periods, not just their own"
The student can see and comment on students' posts from all other periods when the option is enabled.
Note:
New posts/comments from students in other periods do not show up in real-time right now. This would take a bit more work, and should be done in a separate issue. New posts/comments from students in other periods will appear once the student re-visits the step (goes to another step and comes back), or refreshes the page.
New posts/comments from students in the same period will appear in real-time as before.
Test the following:
Note:
Closes #65