Canvas Guides (English)Canvas GuidesCanvas Instructor GuideDiscussionsHow can I require students to reply to a course discussion before they see other replies?

How can I require students to reply to a course discussion before they see other replies?

You can require that students reply to a discussion before the see any of the other students' replies.

Open Discussions

Open Discussions

In Course Navigation, click the Discussions link.

Add Discussion

Add Discussion

Click the Add Discussion button.

Enter Discussion Details

Enter Discussion Details

Enter a topic title [1] and discussion details [2].

Select Discussion Options

Select Discussion Options

Select the Users must post before seeing replies checkbox.

Save and Publish

Save and Publish

If you are ready to publish your discussion, click the Save & Publish button [1]. If you want to create a draft of your discussion and publish it later, click the Save button [2].

Publish Discussion

When your discussion is saved in a draft state, you can return to the page and publish it at any time by clicking the Publish button.

Student View Discussion

Student View Discussion

Students will see a 'Replies are only visible to those who have posted at least one reply' message when they view the Discussion topic.

In Discussions Redesign, students will see a 'You must post before seeing replies' message when they view the Discussion topic.

Note: Sometimes students will work around this requirement by deleting their posts. You can change your course settings to keep students from deleting their posts.