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 

[laurakgibbs]

P.S. Redirect Tool also works great, esp. if you do not need the iframe to provide additional context, etc. Although Redirect Tool will also require https to display sites, including blog sites, inside Canvas.  @keeganlong-whee ‌ has this nice redirect tool resource:

How To Integrate Websites Into Canvas – Keegan Long-Wheeler 

[npacheco]

I am excited for this to happen! Hope to see it soon. 

[AJC17246]

I found this suggestion while checking for a request to directly upload images to an Essay answer in a quiz. So I'd like to propose this this ability carry over to all RCE boxes that students use, so that any place they can embed an image it's easier to do so.

Alistair

[stale_heggset]

We need this now, Canvas!

[sheldonj1]

I, personally, think it is a useful thing but would also remind folks that the LOCAL college can, apparently, opt for not allowing a direct upload by a student from a phone. I, personally, as an "administrator"  find it well....easy.... to upload a image from my phone.

On a Samsung S5 Android

a) Click Canvas instructor

b) click the Class Card

c) click Discussions

d) click the appropriate thread or create a thread

e) click reply if addressing a pre-existing thread

f) click the "paperclip" to attach

g) One sees "camera" "gallery" "device"

h) click gallery

One sees images that can be sorted by "Time" or "album"

i) click the desired image

j) one sees the window to type a reply and the image below it.

k) enter text

l) click the "double arrow" to send

IN THE REPLY

there is a little paperclip, for this user, above the text of the reply and to the right.

m) click the paperclip and the image appears in a separate window.  One must close it to go back to the message.

james

[james_wallerste]

It is truly absurd that the ability to "embed an image" in a discussion post - in the way that every popular forum package and web-based text editor has permitted, past decade or so - was not implemented in the Canvas "Rich Text Editor"  from the get-go. Then...this FI was filed in 2015 but is still pending and will only be re-opened for voting in...May of 2018? Holy smokes.    

I teach IT courses in Canvas but also have 30 years of professional IT experience, including creating and customizing  editors of the same type as involved per the Canvas "Rich Text Editor." Implementing the ability to directly upload a graphics file and then embed it in place - not "attach" it, which is an arcane and really unacceptable method to place any image into a discussions post - is not the rocket science that various comments to this page imply. Tell the Canvas engineers to go get the same TInyMCE code the Blackboard team has used to create their own ("significantly richer") text editor and implement a version of it. 

As an instructor, I am frankly embarrassed to have to run new students thru the Rube Goldberg routine of...exiting the Discussions Topic they really wanted to post an image to, clicking the Account then Files options, uploading, reloading the Discussions Topic page to again "reply," finding the "Canvas" tab, expanding the carrot and...

Sheesh! 

The Embed Image icon on the toolbar, from Day 1, should've had, as it's first and foremost selection, an "Upload" option.

Most students have no clue what to do with the URL fields and no one should not have to go to Flickr. Want to assure uploaded images aren't too big? Simple. All popular programming languages have pre-built image processing libraries that, for example, will automatically resize image dimensions and quality settings as part of the upload process.

Instructure seems to have a healthy attitude re: product improvement in general, but this one deserves an "F" letter grade. Being able to embed (not attach, embed) images - like, screenshots, in the courses I teach - in posts is vitally important for the purpose both of quality instruction and engagement in online courses. There are all kinds of FI requests that have been processed ahead of this one. This one should not have even needed an FI, not to mention years of waiting.

[stale_heggset]

Spot on, James. Just not good enough.

Sendt fra min iPhone

3. apr. 2018 kl. 19:40 skrev james.wallerstedt@gcccd.edu<mailto:james.wallerstedt@gcccd.edu> <instructure@jiveon.com<mailto:instructure@jiveon.com>>:

From the Canvas Community <https://community.canvaslms.com/?et=watches.email.idea_comment>

Upload an image directly to a discussion as a student

new comment by James Wallerstedt<https://community.canvaslms.com/people/james.wallerstedt@gcccd.edu> View all comments on this idea<https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/1053-upload-an-image-directly-to-a-discussion-as-a-student?commentID=114830#comment-114830>

[Jeff_F]

 @james_wallerste ‌ - I am sharing in case you were unaware...  The cidilabs product has an upload/ embed image tool that when installed is found within the external tools drop down.    I use it daily and hadn't looked back.   1-2-3 your done.  Easy as pie.

Cidi Labs | Instructional Design Tools for Canvas 

[efalconer]

This is great to hear about, James.

But we shouldn’t have to pay extra for this, since it looks like it is, indeed, possible to do.

Liz

[momillard]

I agree Liz!  Our University is already paying ALOT for Canvas LMS.  This requested functionality is not rocket science, and should be part of the core functionality of the system, not an extra third-party add-on.

~Mark