What are Discussions?

Canvas provides an integrated system for class discussion threads, allowing both instructors and students to start and contribute to as many discussion topics as desired. Discussions can be created as a graded assignment for grading purposes, or simply serve as an ungraded forum. How your course discussions function is up to the settings you choose when you set up each thread.

Within Discussions you can:

Create, edit, and delete discussion topics. You can also reply to, edit, and delete individual student discussion posts.
Create threaded or focused discussions within your course. (Private discussions can be initiated within student groups, which are not viewable by others outside that group.)
Create discussions with varied due dates for different sections within your course.
Create a graded discussion for everyone, individual students, course sections, or course groups.
Subscribe to a discussion and be notified of replies.
Enable podcast feeds within your discussions.
Embed or attach files, images, and YouTube videos.
Add course content directly from your course.
Delay discussion posts until a defined date.
Pin discussion threads that you want your students to see at the top of the Discussions page.

How Do I Start a Discussion?

Note: Make sure you have enabled the Discussions Course Navigation Menu item for your students or they will not be able to access the course discussions.

Click on Discussions in your Course Navigation menu.
Click the +Discussion button at the top of the page.
Give your discussion a topic title (this is what students will see on the main Discussions page when they enter).
In the large text box, start the discussion off with instructions, a prompt, a reading or other discussion-starter. This text box is the full Rich Content Editor, so you may create links, embed videos and images, and use all of the features of the RCE to create your discussion prompt.
If your course contains crosslisted sections, use the Post to dropdown to choose to post this discussion for all course sections, or specific course sections.
Use the Options checkboxes to create the kind of discussion that you wish:
- Allow threaded replies: Uncheck to create a focused discussion in which all users are responding to the original prompt. Check to create a threaded discussion in which users may reply to one another in a threaded discussion format.
- Users must post before seeing replies: Check if you wish students to post their own reply to the initial prompt first, before seeing any of the posted replies of their peers. Once each student posts their own reply, they will then see all other posted replies and be able to continue to participate in the discussion.
- Enable podcast feed: A podcast feed is the file you use to distribute your discussion for users who want to subscribe through external podcasting channels. The Record/Upload Media Comment tool in the Rich Content Editor must be used for updates to be added to the podcast feed. Text-only discussion posts are not included in the feed.
- Graded: Check this box if you wish to use the discussion as a graded assignment. Checking this box will enable several other options the pertain only to grading and are similar to the options when setting up any other graded assignment.
- Allow liking: Check this box if you want students to be able to "like" individual discussion posts.
- Add to student to-do: Check this box if this will not be a graded discussion but you would still like students to be reminded of it on their to-do lists. You will then be prompted to provide a due date.
If your course has Groups, you can make the discussion board a Group Discussion by checking the box.
Use Availability Dates to allow students to respond to the discussion prompt only within a certain date range.
Click Save or Save & Publish.

Instructor Help for Discussions

Course Discussion Settings

How do I use the Discussions Index Page?
How do I allow students to create a course discussion?
How do I allow students to attach files to a course discussion?
How do I allow students to edit and delete their own discussion posts in a course?

Creating Discussions

Reading and Replying

How do I reply to a discussion as an instructor?
How do I view and sort discussion replies as an instructor?
How do I mark discussion replies as read or unread as an instructor?
How do I change discussion settings to manually mark discussion replies as read as an instructor?
How do I like a reply in a course discussion as an instructor?
How do I subscribe to a discussion as an instructor?
How do I edit or delete student discussion replies in a course?
How do I embed an image in a discussion reply as an instructor?
How do I attach a file to a discussion reply as an instructor?
How do I link to a YouTube video in a discussion reply as an instructor?

Editing and Managing Discussions

How do I publish or unpublish a discussion as an instructor?
How do I edit a discussion in a course?
How do I delete a discussion in a course?
How do I duplicate a discussion in a course?
How do I move or reorder a discussion in a course?
How do I pin a discussion in a course?
How do I close a discussion for comments in a course?

Student Help for Discussions