Upload an image directly to a discussion as a student

[seth]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

As a student, I want to be able to upload an image directly to a discussion. I can only do this today using a cludgy, two-step workaround: (1) upload the image to my personal files, then (2) use the content-picker in the discussion-response window to select the image from my files. Instructors can upload images directly to discussions. Students can upload images directly to other parts of Canvas. Seems odd that this use case requires a workaround.

transferred from the old Community
Originally posted by: Sunny Washington
Thank you especially for contributions by: T Beasley, Stefanie Sanders

Comments from Instructure

This is now completed for mobile and web.

For more information, please read through the following release notes:

Canvas Student Release Notes (iOS 6.3) 

Canvas Student Release Notes (Android 6.3) 

https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-15857-canvas-release-notes-2018-11-17 

[Renee_Carney]

This idea was moved from Under Consideration stage (no longer in use) to the Product Radar stage.  

This change was made as part of a feature idea process evolution.  Find more information, and contribute insights, by joining Focus Group: DRAFT Feature Idea Space. 

[amassals]

I am shocked that this feature is so difficult. I have been teaching online for over 10 years and never before have students NOT been able to embed an image in a forum or Discussions. This is the most basic of tools. I teach a visual subject and it is crucial that students can see each others work. I see this thread has been going on for 2 years now!  I'm in a panic now trying to get students to understand this. I really hope a jpg will be an embed in the future!

[steve_simpson]

What does that mean?  Is this good news or bad news?  If this is good news, what might the timeline be for beta testing or final reveal?

[Renee_Carney]

Thank you for your question,  @steve_simpson ‌.  This idea is not in development at this time.  The stage move is clean-up some of our stages while we make changes to our Feature Idea process.  You can see our draft space at https://community.canvaslms.com/community/ideas/feature-ideas/BETAFI?sr=search&searchId=94d7b46c-fae...‌.

[illona_yukhayev]

A faculty at Emerson asked me to post this on her behalf:

PLEASE MAKE IT EASIER TO PUT IMAGES IN DISCUSSION POSTS 

I had text and images for a tutorial that I copied and pasted into Canvas. I thought this would be a simple job but when I pasted the images, they were all broken. So then I went to insert the images manually but it turns out you cannot upload images from the rich text editor. So then I went to the Images tab on the right and uploaded my four images. However, the directory listing DID NOT REFRESH do I couldn't put them into my Discussion post. Saved the Discussion post and clicked somewhere else. Then clicked back to the Discussion post so that I could put in the images.Then when I inserted the images they are not embedded so the students will have to click on them separately to see them. This is terrible. I want them to show up as embedded images however they didn't show up on the directory listing for image files to embed (only on files listing). All in all this took about 15 minutes when it should have been a simple copy\/paste job and I wound up with a sub-standard product. Can you please streamline this process? Most modern rich text editors support uploading images and embedding them by copying and pasting. I will not post more Discussions like this because of the time involved to do them. Rather, I'll just email the students.

[steve_simpson]

I don't think this issue will ever be resolved to our satisfaction.  It has been a known want for two years now and Canvas keeps saying that students already have the ability to do so.  But there are so many steps and workarounds required to complete a function that exists in almost all modern websites.  

Even if the drag and drop function isn't possible, at least they can enable the feature that teachers have within discussions...although after corresponding with several different Canvas trouble ticket representatives, it appears this isn't even a well-known issue amongst Canvas reps.  

[nikolina_petrov]

Hi, this is the reason I submitted an idea for voting about embedding pictures and images of student work directly from the computer camera. 

Please vote for this idea and share it with other teachers as well. I have been waiting since October 2015! 

https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/2880-give-access-to-camera-to-embed-pictures 

[laurakgibbs]

I guess there was some activity today on this request which made it pop up on "all activity," and I was kind of staggered and depressed to read through the comments here about what is apparently an almost two-year-old proposal. 

Images are ESSENTIAL in my opinion, and one of the greatest advantages of an online environment is the ability to include abundant images. That's one of the main reasons I have my students do all their work in our blog network where they can embed all kinds of media easily: images, video, audio, etc. You can visit my students' blog network here if you are curious; their projects are websites which features images too of course.

IMO we should be making it easy and natural to include images in discussion board posts, and then focusing our efforts on teaching students to be responsible in their use of images (respecting copyright, citing images properly, learning some basics of image resizing, cropping, etc.). 

Those digital literacy skills are where we should be directing our efforts, not petitioning simply for students to be able to include images in discussions just as easily as instructors do.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

[adam_zolkover]

I'd like to add my voice to this as an absolute must. We create help videos for our learners showing them how to embed images in discussions, and still, in our course feedback, we hear that this is too difficult for students. Please fix!

[steve_simpson]

Check out how to upload an image in Schoology discussions.  This is an excellent example of student-focused design.  It does not require any previous uploading of content or workarounds of any sort.  It's so easy that students can do it.