Discussions
The Discussion Index page allows you to view all the discussions within a course.
Note: Your instructor may choose to hide the Discussions link in Course Navigation. If the Discussions link is not available, you can still access Discussions through other areas of Canvas.
Open Discussions
In Course Navigation, click the Discussions link.
View Discussions
Discussions are organized into three main areas.
Discussions [1]: These are current discussions within the course. Discussions are ordered by most recent activity. You will only see this section heading if there are discussions within this section.
Pinned Discussions [2]: These are discussions that your instructor wants you to pay specific attention to and will appear at the top of the Discussions page. You will only see this section heading if there are discussions within this section as designated by your instructor.
Closed for Comments [3]: These discussions have been manually closed for comments, or the discussion is past the available from/until date. These are discussions that are only available in a read-only state and are ordered by most recent activity. You will always see this section heading, even if there are no discussions within this section.
View Individual Discussion
Each discussion displays whether or not it is a graded discussion [1], the name of the discussion [2], the date on which the last discussion reply was posted [3], the due date (if any) [4], the number of unread/total posts in the discussion [5], and whether or not you are subscribed to the discussion [6].
You can also view availability dates for individual discussions [7].
An unread icon next to a discussion indicates an unread discussion [8]. The number of unread/total posts will not appear for group discussions and discussions that have no discussion replies [9].
There will also be a peer review icon if a graded discussion has been assigned peer reviews [10].
View Availability Dates
The first dates you may see are the availability dates. Your instructor may use availability dates to restrict discussion replies to a specified date range. The availability dates are the range of time that the discussion is accessible to you. Availability dates also appear on the Assignments page for all discussions with assigned availability dates.
- If the discussion does not have a date listed, the discussion is open; you can reply to the discussion at any time during your course [1].
- If the discussion says Not Available Until [date], the discussion is locked until the specified date [2].
- If the discussion says Available until [date], you can reply to the discussion until the specified date [3].
- If the discussion is in the Closed for Comments section, the discussion cannot accept submissions [4]. Discussions in this section may show a "Was locked at [date]" to indicate when the discussion was closed for comments [5].
Note: If a date does not include a time, the listed date defaults to 12 am. Therefore, the last day for the discussion is the full day before the listed date. For instance, if a discussion is Available until March 29, you can access the discussion until March 28 at 11:59 pm.
View Due Dates
The second set of dates are the due dates [1] for each respective discussion. However, due dates only apply to graded discussions. Any replies to discussions after the due date are marked as late; some instructors may deduct points for late replies. You can still reply to late discussion before the Available until date.
Please be aware that the Due date may be before or on the Available date.
Due dates also include a time [2]. If your instructor does not set a specific due time, the graded discussion due time defaults to 11:59 pm and submissions will be late if submitted after 11:59:59 pm.
Filter Discussions
There are a few ways to filter Discussions:
- View All or only unread discussions by selecting an option from the drop-down menu.
- Search for a discussion by typing a discussion title, a user name, or a keyword in the Search field.
- Start a new discussion by clicking the Add Discussion button. (Note: Some instructors may choose to disable this option.)
- Change the discussions settings to manually mark posts as read by clicking the Settings icon.
Open Discussion
To view the details of a discussion, click the name of the discussion.
View Open Discussion
When a discussion is available for participation, you can view the Reply field beneath the discussion topic [1]. To reply to the discussion, click the Reply button.
The discussion also shows the discussion topic [2] and the name of the person who created the discussion [3].
Note: The Discussions page supports keyboard shortcuts. To view a window with a list of keyboard navigation shortcuts, press Alt+F8 (on a PC keyboard) or Option+Fn+F8 (on a Mac keyboard) simultaneously on your keyboard.
View Graded Discussion
If your discussion is a graded discussion, you can view the discussion the same way as regular discussions with additional information:
- Graded Discussion details [1]: points and due date for the graded discussion, if any. Not all graded discussions may have a due date.
- Rubric [2]: any grading criteria that your instructor has provided for the graded discussion. A graded discussion may or may not include a rubric. Before submitting your reply, you may want to review the discussion rubric.
If you were to miss the due date, you may be able to submit a reply to the discussion before the last day of the course. If the graded discussion does not have a due date, you can submit a reply any time before the last day of the course.
View Discussion with Required Replies
If you are unable view responses from other students, you may be required to make a reply before you can view them. Once you reply to the discussion, any other replies will be visible.
View Group Discussion
If a discussion is a group discussion, you will be directed to Discussions in your group.
View Locked Discussion
When a discussion is locked, you can't view any details in the discussion topic. However, you can view the date when the discussion will be open.
View Closed Discussion
Both graded- and non-graded discussions can be closed at any time. Your instructor may note in the description topic or syllabus if a discussion is only scheduled to be available for a specific period of time.
When a discussion has been closed for comments, you can still view the details of the discussion topic and any replies, but you can no longer reply to the discussion.
The discussion was either available until a specific date, or your instructor manually closed the topic.
Show Rubric
Click the Options icon [1] and select the Show Rubric button [2].
Note: If the Show Rubric button does not display, there is no rubric for your discussion.
View Rubric
View the graded discussion rubric.
The rubric includes criteria [1], ratings [2], and full point values [3]. A rubric criterion may include up to five different ratings and individual point values.
View Rubric Details
If a criterion includes a longer description with more details, click the view longer description link [1].
The rubric may also include an outcome associated with the course [2]. Outcomes are identified by a small flag and are used to assess learning mastery in a course. The outcome also shows the threshold for the outcome, or the number of points you must achieve to meet expectations. Your instructor may allow you to view outcomes results in your course grades.
Open RSS Feed
Right click (on a PC) or Control + Click (on a Mac) the Topic Podcast Feed button to copy the URL link that will enable you to create a podcast link in iTunes or other podcast capturing technology.
Copy URL Link
Click the Copy Link Address link.
Note: Depending on your browser, the option may read Copy Link Location.
Open iTunes
Open iTunes or podcast capturing program.
Subscribe to Podcast
Open the File options and click the Subscribe to Podcast link.
Paste URL
Paste the URL into the text box and click the OK button to subscribe to the podcast.
Select Podcasts
Click the Podcast link in the iTunes library.
Listen to Podcast
Listen to the podcast when episodes are available.
View Dashboard
Once a peer review is assigned to you, a notification will appear in several dashboard areas.
View Recent Activity
On your Dashboard, you can view recent activity in your Global Activity Stream. Recent activity will display a peer review and the name of the course. Click the Show More link to access the assignment and view the name of the peer review student.
If a peer review is anonymous, the name will show as Anonymous User.
View To Do List
On both the Dashboard and the Course Home Page sidebar, the To Do list shows the peer review discussion. Peer reviews are identified with the Peer Review icon. To review the discussion, click the Peer Review for [Discussion Name] link.
Note: Currently the Due Date in the To Do List does not accurately display the due date for completing your peer review. If details about your peer review are not already included in the details of your graded discussion, please contact your instructor.
Open Discussions
You can also view peer reviews when viewing discussions. In Course Navigation, click the Discussions link.
Note: You can also access your Assignments through your Dashboard, Course Activity Stream, Assignments, the Syllabus, Gradebook, Calendar, or Modules.
Open Discussion
Peer review discussions display the peer review icon [1]. Click the title of the discussion [2].
View Assigned Peer Review
The peer review assignment is highlighted at the top and includes a direct link to the peer review [1].
If a specific due date is assigned to the peer review, the date also appears as part of the message [2]. Otherwise, it displays the due date for the graded discussion, if any.
View Recent Feedback
Under Recent Feedback in the sidebar of your Canvas course, you can view recent comments from peer reviewed discussions. Click the title of the discussion to view all submission details and comments.
View Submission Details Page
You can view the comment directly in the submission details page.
View Grades
The comment can also be viewed on your Grades page.
Add Discussion
Click the Add Discussion button.
Create Discussion
Enter a discussion title in the Topic Title field [1].
Add discussion content using the Rich Content Editor [2]. Learn more about using the Rich Content Editor.
By default, all sections in your course can view and participate in the discussion. To specify specific sections for your discussion, use the Post to drop-down menu [3].
You can also attach files to your discussion [4].
Set Discussion Options and Availability
Select options for your discussion [1] and add dates specifying when your classmates can view and participate in your discussion [2].
Note: If you do not set availability dates for your discussion, it can be accessed at any time during the course or section dates.
Save Discussion
Click the Save button.
Subscribe on Discussions Index Page
You can subscribe to an entire discussion from the Discussions page. Locate the discussion you want to subscribe to and click the Subscribe icon.
The Subscribe icon will turn green when you are subscribed.
Unsubscribe on Discussions Index Page
To unsubscribe from a discussion, locate the discussion you want to unsubscribe from and click the Subscribe icon.
The Subscribe icon will appear as an outline when you are unsubscribed.
Subscribe within Discussion
You can also subscribe within a discussion. Click the title of the discussion you want to subscribe to.
Subscribe to Discussion
Click the Subscribe button.
The Subscribe button will become green when you are subscribed to the discussion topic.
Unsubscribe from Discussion
To unsubscribe from a discussion, open the discussion and click the green Subscribed button.
The Subscribed button will become a gray Subscribe button when you are unsubscribed from a discussion topic.
Reply to Discussion
To reply to the main discussion, type your reply in the Reply field.
Post Reply
Add your reply, links, files, and other media in the Rich Content Editor [1]. If allowed in your course, you may also attach files [2].
To post your reply, click the Post Reply button [3].
Note: If you post your discussion response before an attached image finishes uploading, Canvas displays a warning message.
View Your Reply
Your reply will be posted at the bottom of the discussion reply thread. The border of your post will flash indicating it has been newly posted. The unread icon next to your post will immediately change to the read icon if Canvas automatically marks your posts as read. However, if you manually mark your posts as read, the unread icon will remain until you manually mark it as read.
Thread a Discussion Reply
To respond to a discussion reply, click the Reply link.
Note: Depending on how your instructor set up the discussion, the reply field may look slightly different.
Post Reply
Add your reply, links, files, and other media in the Rich Content Editor [1]. If allowed in your course, you may also attach files [2].
To post your reply, click the Post Reply button [3].
Note: If you post your discussion response before an attached image finishes uploading, Canvas displays a warning message.
View Reply
Your reply displays at the bottom of the discussion thread. If your discussion replies are automatically marked as read, your new reply displays a Read icon [1]. If you have selected to manually mark read discussion posts, your post displays an Unread icon [2] until you manually mark it as read.
Click the reply field.
Attach File
After adding content using the Rich Content Editor to the discussion reply [1], click the Attach link [2].
Note: If you do not have a file attachment icon in your Discussion reply, your instructor has disabled this feature.
Browse for File
Depending on your browser, click the Choose File or Browser button to locate personal files on your computer.
Note: Once an attachment is posted to a discussion post, the attachment cannot be deleted.
Select File Upload
Browse personal files on computer and select the file or files you wish to attach [1]. Double click the selected files or click the Open or Choose button [2] to upload the files to the discussion reply.
Note: You can only upload one attachment in your reply.
Post Reply
Click the Post Reply button.
View Discussion Reply
View your discussion reply. Your attached file will appear under the text.
Write Reply
Create a new discussion entry by clicking the Reply text field.
Add Image from Toolbar
To add an image from the toolbar, click the Image icon [1].
You can also upload an image from the image options menu. To view additional image options, click the Image Options arrow [2]. Then select the Upload Image option [3].
Note: To view the Image icon, you may have to click the Options icon [4].
Add Image from Menubar
You can also add an image using the menubar in the Rich Content Editor. The menubar displays the title of Rich Content Editor tools and may be preferable for those using keyboard navigation.
To upload an image using the menubar, click the Insert menu [1], select the Image option [2]. You can upload new images and embed images from your course and user files [3].
Upload Image from Computer
By default, the Image Upload Tool displays the Computer tab [1]. Click or drag and drop an image file to the image uploader to upload a file from your computer [2].
Note: Images uploaded from your computer using the image upload tool are added to your course files.
Select File
Select the image file [1] and click the Open button [2].
View Selected File
The uploader displays the image file name [1] and an image preview [2]. To remove the image, click the Delete icon [3].
Embed Image from Unsplash
To embed an image from Unsplash, click the Unsplash tab [1].
Enter a search term in the Search Term field [2] and select from the displayed options [3]. To view more image options, click the page navigation links [4].
Note: Canvas uses safe search filters provided by Unsplash. You can read more about the Unsplash content policy on their Terms page.
Embed Image from URL
To embed an image using a URL, click the URL tab [1].
Enter the URL in the File URL field [2].
Manage Usage Rights
If required by your institution, you will need to select usage right settings for your image.
In the Usage Right drop-down menu [1], select one of the five usage right options:
- I hold the copyright: original content created by you
- I have obtained permission to use the file: authorized permission by the author
- The material is in the public domain: explicitly assigned to public domain, cannot be copyrighted, or is no longer protected by copyright
- The material is subject to an exception - e.g. fair use, the right to quote, or others under applicable copyright laws: excerpt or summary used for commentary, news reporting, research, or analysis in education
- The material is licensed under Creative Commons: this option also requires setting a specific Creative Commons license
If known, enter the copyright holder information in the Copyright Holder field [2].
Note: If you are an instructor and are not sure which usage right applies to your image, please consult your institutional admin for guidance.
Manage Image Attributes
To add Alt Text to your image, type an alternative text description or text tags in the Alt Text field [1]. By default, the Alt Text field displays the image file name. Alt text is read by screen readers, and it displays when an embedded image cannot display.
If the image is decorative and does not require alt text, select the Decorative Image option [2].
By default, the Embed Image display option is selected for embedded images [3].
To display the image file link, select the Display Text Link display option [4]. The file link will replace the image in the Rich Content Editor.
Embed Image
To embed your selected image, click the Submit button.
Note: The image will flash before it embeds in the Rich Content Editor.
View Embedded Image
View your uploaded image in the Rich Content Editor. You can also add or modify alt text tags and manage the image display options.
Post Reply
Click the Post Reply button.
Write Reply
Create a new discussion entry by clicking the Reply text field.
Embed URL
To embed a URL in the discussion reply, click the Link icon [1] and select the External Links option [2].
Notes:
- You can also insert a link using the Insert menu options [3].
- If enabled in your course, you can link to a YouTube video from the Apps icon [4].
Insert Link
Enter the video link in the Link field [1]. Then click the Done button [2].
View Video Link
View the video link in the Rich Content Editor.
Open Apps
You can view a list of external tools from the menubar. Click the Tools link [1]. Navigate to the Apps option [2], then select the View All option [3].
Alternatively, you can view your apps from the toolbar. In the toolbar, click the App icon [4].
Note: To view the App icon, you may have to click the Options icon [5].
View Recently Used Apps
If you have previously used an external app from the Rich Content Editor, you can quickly open recently used apps.
To view recently used apps, click the App icon [1]. Then select the app you want to open [2].
To view all apps, click the View All link [3].
Open YouTube
If the YouTube LTI tool does not display in your recently used applications, you will need to select it from the list of all applications.
Click the YouTube link [1].
You can also filter menu options using the Search field [2].
Note: If the Google link does not display, the LTI may not be enabled in your course. You can still include your file by creating a hyperlink or publishing your Google content to the web and pasting the embed code in the HTML editor.
Search Videos
Enter a search term in the Search field [1]. Then press Return (Mac) or Enter (PC) on your keyboard.
To view more information about a search option, click the video name [2].
Embed Video
To embed the video in the Rich Content Editor, click the Embed button [1].
To manage the video embed options, click the Embed drop-down menu [2]. You can select to embed a video hyperlink [3], or you can select to embed a small, medium, or large version of the video in the Rich Content Editor [4].
View Embedded Video
View the embedded video in the Rich Content Editor.
Post Reply
Click the Post Reply button.
Open Discussion
Click a discussion title.
Open Options Icon
Each of your posts have a settings icon with edit and delete options. Click the Options icon on the post you want to modify.
Edit Discussion Reply
Locate the student reply you want to edit and click the Options menu [1]. Then select the Edit option [2].
Save Edits
Edit the discussion reply in the Rich Content Editor [1]. To post your edits, click the Done button [2].
Verify Edit
Canvas displays an Edited by label on the edited post. The label displays your name and the date and time the post was edited. This label cannot be removed.
Delete Reply
To delete your reply to a discussion topic, click the reply Options icon [1], then select the Delete option [2].
Confirm Delete
Click the OK button.
Verify Delete
If you delete a discussion reply with other course user replies attached, Canvas shows a Deleted by notification. The notification includes your name and the date and time the post was deleted. This entry cannot be removed.
However, if you delete a reply that does not have any course user replies attached, Canvas does display a Deleted by notification.
Note: Course instructors can see that you deleted your replies in the discussion.
View Restricted Options
If your instructor has restricted the option to edit or delete your discussion replies, the options are disabled.