How students upload images into their discussion posts

[Stef_retired]

Teachers managing discussion topics in their courses often want their students to embed images directly into their discussion posts rather than attaching them as files. The student process to accomplish this requires some guidance.

• The process is explained in this Canvas Guide lesson: How do I embed an image in a discussion reply as an instructor?
•  @scottdennis ​ created a quick and clear tutorial that helps students through the process, so I'm providing the link to it here: How Students Embed Images into their Discussion Posts. (< Update: this screencast link has expired. :smileyplain: )
• I like to provide a tutorial page preceding the first discussion in each of my courses that incorporates links to both of these resources as well as my own narrated screencast: How students upload images and embed them in their discussion posts​ (< Update: This screencast depicts the legacy UI, but the steps in the process remain the same.)

This feature idea-- -- calls for the process to be simplified. Voting on it will be open through August 5, 2015.

[kedgecomb]

I agree.  This process needs to be simplified.  Instructors and students have a hard time understanding this concept.

[Stef_retired]

My current learners are online instructors who are proficient in multiple LMSs, and even they are flummoxed by the complexity of this process for students. If you'd like to provide your students with a step-by-step guide, feel free to copy and paste from here:

1. In your course, click on your name in the upper right hand corner of the Canvas screen
2. Click on Files in the left navigation; this will bring you to your personal files area (My Files)
3. Upload the image files to your files area
4. Navigate to the discussion topic
5. Click on Reply to compose a new post
6. Click on the Embed Icon button (little tree mountain in a box) that appears in the Rich Content Editor
7. In the pop-up that appears, click on the Canvas tab
8. Click on My Files
9. Select your image(s)

[kona]

Here's a video I made for my students showing how to add a picture to a discussion. You're more than welcome to use it.

[ejackson]

There definitely needs to be an option to e able to upload an image directly from your computer. That would make it so much easier!

[john_morris]

Unfortunately, the  @scottdennis ​ link in the original post is broken. :smileycry:

[Stef_retired]

 @john_morris , it used to work! I'm checking now to see if that screencast still exists...

[scottdennis]

Drat!  Looks like the screencast.com link expired.  I can always recreate if that would be helpful.

[kevin2]

I agree that using multi-media in Canvas can be challenging for students.  We created an add-on that allows for simple image uploading (by browsing or drag and drop), a simplified embed process and image annotations in discussions.  I made a quick little video of how the multi-media upload feature works -

[rosowld]

Okay, I'm just having a wild dream here, not knowing the formal approach to posting Canvas wishes yet.

In a perfect world, I am dreaming of just being able to drag and drop images into a discussion frame

and then being able to grab the corners to adjust the size as needed.

Is that an impossible dream?

[Stef_retired]

 @rosowld ​, that's actually a different wild dr... erm, feature idea than the one linked to in the body of the discussion above. Is it impossible? I hope not! Please add your feedback to which has a comment from the product team indicating that it's on their radar and not out of the realm of possibility.

[sheldonj1]

Well, i had a student in one section upload from an iPhone, but another student in another section "could not upload from my phone".  So I have asked for more info.

The original work was with students using Android so it "may" be and Android specific thing or it may be that "little elves" changed the permissions from two weeks ago and today.

dunno

jts

[sheldonj1]

LOL ANOTHER bombshell

A woman "in her thirties" with "kids" was in lecture and "during a pause" lifted her left arm and spoke into her iPhone Watch . "OK, later".

I was not bothered by this but did, later ask.

Her IPhone was in her ....rather large...purse on the floor and when she spoke to the IPhone watch it went to the phone and yada yada....

I was visiting about the capabilites of the phone and she showed me a version of the self regulating map that I uploaded ten years or so ago and tapped the "phone" symbol and it appeared and she asked me a question about the lecture and then showed me the Iwatch and.......

WHAT I SAID SEVERAL FEET AWAY from her was on her phone IN TEXT.......

WHAT!!!!!!!??????

Following desultory conversation revealed that she has several children and is a mid-level supervisor at her work and yada yada......

BUT.....she said that "I HAD TO GET the Iphone and Iwatch because otherwise I would be CONTINUALLY having to "pick up the phone, go through the menu, etc etc. etc. etc.  (YES I know, according the useage there should only be one ".etc"......

BUT.... this woman represents exactly the OPPOSITE of the "people" which we are "supposedly targeting"....

And is...........WAAAYYYY BEYOND ..... what "academia" thinks is going on.....

because of.............quoting from a very "eddicated" person from the seventies...... "a felt need".

To sum this up......

I was ............amazed that the TECHNOLOGY of the IWATCH...................was VIEWABLE BY ME from SEVERAL FEET AWAY.......

A WATCH.........less than the size of a "silver dollar"....WHAT!!!??

The portent...........

If the Canvas "team" can................somehow.............purposely........GET AHEAD OF THEIR SKIS.........

They "may" catch up with what was referenced by several people above.............

I thought that Android was cutting edge.....and yes.....for "open source / smoke and mirrors closed source " it "is"....

But the Iwatch and Iphone are just .....scary....

i am SERIOUSLY considering purchasing the system..... shudder..........shudder................

[sheldonj1]

This has now become completely out of hand.

I have PHYSICALLY VIEWED the following.

A student with an Iphone 5 sees exactly what I see, as an administrator, to respond to a discussion and upload a picture.

Another student with an Iphone 8 has no option to upload a picture.

Another student with an Android S4 sees several options at the bottom to upload from places like Flikr but not from the phone.

Another student with and Android S5 has no option to upload a picture.

I have personally observed all of these situations today in class.

I have been told by my Dean to contact my Canvas contact person which I will do tomorrow.

james

[sheldonj1]

I was offered THIS POSSIBLE FIX for the situation of different phones and differing capabilities to upload images.

It "may" be due to the "age" of the install, which indicates that possibly updates are not being rolled out or that the students are not updating their apps.

However, the "Canvas contact person" provided this after i was told to contact the person.

I am posting this to determine if the PARTICULAR INSTRUCTIONS should be expanded in any way or just posted by me for the students.

And a question is: What are "photo rolls" ?

If access to photo rolls have not been given by users after installation of the mobile app, this could prevent them from uploading photos to discussion. What I might suggest to students with no ability to upload photos directly is to delete their current app, download the most current one, and when prompted, allow access to the photo roll. If this still isn’t working

I await comments and depending on them I may post the fix for both classes "en masse" as opposed to speaking with individuals.

thanks

james

[scottdennis]

Hi James,

The "photo roll" is where the phone stores pictures after the user has taken them.  They must grant access to their phone's store of photos in order for the app to access them.

[sheldonj1]

Hi

thank you for the comment.

The latest wrinkle is the expected one, a person who "just does not know how to use a phone for "stuff" ". 

[Hello-888]

Hi so I think I now know how to simplify all these stuff.

So like... go to embed picture --> canvas --> click on my files (don't select and just click on it because that's how the upload button will turn on) --> click upload

there you go ^_^

have a nice day ^_^