As an instructor, you can create a discussion for your course. This lesson outlines a variety of options to choose from in order to customize a discussion for your course.
Notes:
- Discussions can be graded or ungraded. If a student attaches a file to an ungraded discussion, the file size counts toward the student's storage quotas. However, attachments added to graded discussions do not count toward the student's storage quotas.
- Students can create discussions in student groups. If allowed by course settings, students can also create discussions in courses.
Open Discussions
In Course Navigation, click the Discussions link.
Add Discussion
Click the Add Discussion button.
Create Discussion
By default, the Details tab displays [1].
Enter a discussion title in the Topic Title field [2].
Add discussion content using the Rich Content Editor [3].
You can also attach files to your discussion [4].
To add Mastery Paths to a graded discussion, click the Mastery Paths tab [5].
Note: When you upload a document to the Rich Content Editor from a discussion, the file is saved to the Uploaded Media folder in Course Files and defaults to hidden status. Students can view the file when the discussion is made available to them. For more information, visit our guide about file visibility.
Set Attached File Usage Rights
If required by your institution, you will need to select usage right settings for your attachment. To manage usage right settings, click the Set usage rights icon [1].
In the Usage Right drop-down menu [2], select one of five usage rights. If you are an instructor and are not sure which usage right applies to your file, please consult your institutional admin for guidance:
- 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 [3].
To save your usage right settings, click the Save button [4]. You can edit usage right settings by clicking the Set usage rights icon.
Set Anonymous Discussion Options
By default, discussions are not anonymous; student names and profile pictures display in discussions [1].
To allow students to decide whether to display their names and profile pictures, click the Partial: students can choose to reveal their name and profile picture option [2].
To enable anonymous discussions and hide student names and profile pictures, click the Full: student names and profile pictures will be hidden option [3].
Notes:
- Anonymous discussions do not support graded discussions or group discussions.
- If there are no discussion submissions, you can edit the anonymous discussion options.
- Replies made by users with a Teacher, TA, or Designer role in the course will never be anonymous.
Set Additional Options
To allow only replies to the discussion topic and prevent users from replying to replies, click the Disallow threaded replies checkbox [1].
To require students to reply to the discussion before they can see any other replies, click the Participants must respond to the topic before viewing other replies checkbox [2]. Students see a "You must post before seeing replies" message when they view the Discussion topic.
To enable a discussion podcast feed, click the Enable podcast feed checkbox [3].
To create a graded assignment, click the Graded checkbox [4]. When creating a graded assignment, additional options display, where you can select a number of points, add peer reviews, and select other options. For more information, refer to our guide about creating a graded assignment for everyone, individual students, course sections, or course groups.
To allow users to like discussion replies, click the Allow liking checkbox [5]. To limit the liking functionality to only graders in the course, click the Only graders can like checkbox [6]. Only users with the Edit Grades permission can see the Like link. However, all users still see the total number of likes for each reply.
To add an ungraded discussion to the student to-do list, click the Add to student to-do checkbox [7]. Student to-do items display in the course calendar, in the student-specific List View Dashboard, and in the global and course home page to-do lists. Graded discussions automatically display in a student's to-do list.
To make the discussion a group discussion, click the This is a Group Discussion checkbox [8].
To set and lock the default thread view option for students, click Default Thread State [9]. For the default sort option, click Default Sort Order [10]. If these settings are locked, students will not be able to change the view or sort discussion replies [11].
Notes:
- Graded discussions do not support anonymous grading.
- Graded discussions cannot be anonymous; student names and profile pictures must be visible to other members of the course.
- Once there are threaded replies in a discussion, you cannot change the Disallow threaded replies setting.
- Sometimes students will work around the requirement to post before seeing replies by deleting their posts. You can change your course settings to prevent students from deleting their posts.
Manage Assignment Settings
By default, all sections and students in your course can view and participate in the discussion.
To specify specific sections or users for your discussion, add assignees and availability dates.
Select Assignees
To change the assignees, click the Assign To field [1]. Then, select one or more assignees. You can assign to everyone, a course section [2], or an individual student [3].
Find Student or Section
To find a student or section more easily, enter a few letters of the name [1] and select the name from a filtered list [2].
To remove an assignee, click the Remove icon [3].
Enter Availability Dates
By default, students can access the discussion at any time during the course or section dates. However, to provide specific dates and times for the due date and discussion availability, enter dates and/or times in the Available from [1] and Until areas [2].
Notes:
- Before the Available From date, students can only view the discussion title. After the Until date, students can view the discussion topic and all responses but cannot add or edit any responses.
- Canvas displays the time zone date and time according to context [3]. If you manage courses in a time zone other than your local time zone and create or edit a due date for a discussion, the course and local times are displayed for reference.
Set Dates and Times
To set dates, enter a date in the Available from or Until field [1]. Or, click the field and select a date from the calendar [2].
To set times, enter a time or click the Time drop-down menu and select a time [3].
Notes:
- To remove date and time selections, click the Clear link [4].
- In the calendar, the current date displays in a blue circle [5].
Add Additional Assignment Details
To assign to other students or sections with different dates and times, click the Assign To button. Then, enter additional assignees and availability dates.
Save Discussion
If you are ready to publish your discussion, click the Save and Publish button [1].
To create a draft of your discussion and publish it later, click the Save button [2].
Publish
If you saved your discussion as a draft, you can publish it at any time by clicking the Publish icon.
