[Studio] Allow setting default for comments enabled in Studio

[Landmark_Coll]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

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When embedding Studio media via the RCE, the default settings are that commenting is toggled on and downloading is toggled off. I feel there should be some method for changing those defaults. Some instructors/departments/institutions may prefer to not regularly use commenting. (Commenting takes a huge amount of screen real estate and is quite redundant when adding media to Canvas Discussions.) And downloading capability may be desirable more often than not in some institutions.

I'm not sure where these defaults should be set, but I was thinking that maybe there should be a setting at the account level which could be overridden at the course level.

[michelle_powell]

Can the COMMENTS option be set to off as default? or allow our admin to set the default for this? We are always having to turn it off because we hardly ever use the comments to the videos.

[Jeff_F]

When looking at the Studio embed process, I am wondering if the RCE embed container knows it is part of a discussion reply.  If yes, then it may well be plausible to edit the default setting.  As for justification for doing so... I cannot come up with a scenario where an instructor would want to have both the discussion thread reply capability and in-video commenting enabled.  But then the behavior would be different than other embeds - on wiki pages, etc.  I believe the reason the default for commenting is set to enabled is so that the availability drives engagement.  But is that working as envisioned?

While it is possible to disable replies in the discussion, there isn't a means to easily aggregate student interactions using the Studio in-video commenting feature.  For this I am thinking of the grading process where it is optimal for an instructor to see the totality of that students contribution on a single screen.

I suggest looking at the data.  Where are most of these student created Studio embeds?  If they are in replies to discussions and the in-video commenting feature is not being used, then perhaps a change is in order.

[AprilRuth]

I would love for these embedded videos from Canvas studios to have "description" be the default- it's a great feature but it is buried/students could click on comments to do that (right now the comments are an eyesore so much that it discourages people from commenting)

I can embed videos so much more easily from non-canvas studio options- that is very frustrating bc I would love to use canvas studios more 

[KristinL]

Comments from Instructure

For more information, please read through the Studio Release Notes (2023-04-03).