[Inbox] Add rich-content editor to Conversations

[seth]

As a user, I would like to be able to use the rich-content editor to compose messages in the Conversations inbox. This would enable me to create Conversations that are on par, formatting- and content-wise, with Announcements. (Students seem to read Conversations messages more diligently than Announcements.)

transferred from the old Community

Originally posted by: Mia Nolan

Special thanks for contributions by: Stefanie Sanders

[karla_franko]

Problem statement:

I would like to be able to embed a screenshot, a photo, a piece of clipart or a link into my Inbox emails. Sometimes I want to "show" a student what they should be looking for in the weekly module (a posting link for example) and if I take a screen shot, copy/paste it into the email, it doesn't work. If I go to the trouble of creating a document in Word and drop the screenshot into it, save it and then attach it to the email, that works, but the process is elongated and it would be much more efficient to be able to simply copy/paste and have it appear in the body of the Inbox email. This goes for links as well...if I have an article that I want to send a student, it would be convenient to just drop the link in and say "click here for the reference article" instead of creating a document with the link embedded and then attaching it. I'm just looking to streamline the process of sending links or images in the Inbox.

Proposed solution:

Give the Inbox the ability to recognize png, jpeg or jpg images instead of being an environment of text only. It will give the Inbox feature a greater wingspan of practicality and visual use for all involved. It seems that students respond to a visual aspect much more these days (especially in a generation that is motivated by visual stimuli.)

User role(s):

instructor

[DeteesWuber]

Problem statement:

Canvas Inbox messages have limited (to no) formatting capabilities. A workaround is to pre-format content externally and then copy and paste it into the body of the Canvas Inbox message - a tedious undertaking.

Proposed solution:

Please enable the Rich Content Editor for messages in the Canvas Inbox so that you can work with headings, bullets and table inserts.

User role(s):

admin,instructor,student,ta

[MScottUH]

Problem statement:

It would be incredibly beneficial for both instructors and students for the Inbox Messaging feature to have text editing functionality (like Canvas uses for Announcements and Pages). Currently, when I send an email to the class, I can only use text. I am unable to: Bold or Change Font Size or Color to draw attention to especially important instructions Utilize bullets to make the message more digestible and readable for students. Hyperlink URLs for web links to course resources or Teams Meetings. This causes me to have to list the entire URL which can sometimes take up 4-5 lines in the message which make student spam filters skip my important messages.

Proposed solution:

Can Text Editing capabilities be added to Inbox Messaging in Canvas? This would greatly enhance the communication and engagement between Instructors and Students within the Canvas platform.

User role(s):

instructor,ta