Recent Updates

  • You can add a YouTube video in a discussion reply by adding the URL of the video as a link to the response.

  • If your instructor allows file attachments, you can attach a file to a discussion reply using the attachment icon. Attachments can be added to both graded and non-graded discussions.

    Any attachments added as part of discussions are copied to your user files. Attachments for graded discussions are not counted against your user quota and cannot be deleted.

    Notes

    • If the attachment icon does not display, this option is not available in your course.
    • If your attachment causes you to exceed your user file quota, the file may fail to attach to an ungraded discussion.
    • If you have permission to edit or delete discussion replies, editing a reply also allows you to remove an attachment.
  • If your instructor has enabled a podcast in a discussion, you can subscribe to receive the feed in a podcast capturing program. This lesson explains how to add a podcast to iTunes (minimum version 11.0).

    Note: 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.

  • By default, as you read new Discussion posts, Canvas will mark them as read (changing the indicators from blue to white) as you scroll down the page. However, you can manually mark each posts back to a read or unread state.

    You can tell Canvas not to automatically mark all your posts as read in your Discussion settings.

    Note: Once a post's state is manually changed, the post will not change states (become read or unread) until you manually change it again.

  • A peer review discussion enables students to provide feedback on another student's reply to a class discussion. Peer reviews are a tool that allows communication between students and can help students master the concepts of a course and learn from each other.

    Peer reviews can only be added as part of a graded discussion. Unlike peer review assignments, discussions cannot be assigned anonymously.

  • If you have allowed liking for a course discussion, you can like discussion replies.

  • When creating or editing a graded discussion, you can assign a graded discussion to a specific course section. Availability date functionality is still available for each graded discussion.

    Only the section(s) specified in the discussion details can view the graded discussion.

    When using differentiated assignments with the Gradebook, the graded discussion appears as a column for all students, but grade cells are grayed out for students who have not been included in the discussion. Grades cannot be assigned for students who have not been included in the graded discussion, and graded discussions that are not assigned to a student are not factored into overall grades.

    When Multiple Grading Periods are enabled in a course, assignments are also respected against closed grading periods.

  • Manually assigning peer reviews allows you to choose which students will be assigned peer reviews.

    Note: When manually assigning peer reviews, students can complete their assigned peer reviews without having to post their own discussion reply first. If you require students to post to the discussion before being able to complete a peer review, you must automatically assign peer reviews.