How do I reply to a discussion as an instructor?

[#1]

You can easily reply to any discussion, threaded or focused. However, the reply process varies depending on the type of discussion.

If the steps in this lesson do not match what is displayed in your course, learn how to reply to a discussion in the Discussions Redesign interface.

Note: The discussion reply Rich Content Editor includes a word count display below the bottom right corner of the text box.

Open Discussions

In Course Navigation, click the Discussions link.

Open Discussion

Click the name of the Discussion.

Reply to Discussion

To reply to the main discussion, type your reply in the Reply field.

Post a Message

To enter your reply, add links, photos, equations, and/or media, use the Rich Content Editor [1]. To attach files to your discussion reply, click the Attach link [2].

To post your reply, click the Post Reply button [3].

Note: If you post your discussion response before an attached image finishes uploading, Canvas displays a warning message.

View Your Reply

Your reply will be posted at the bottom of the discussion reply thread. The border of your post will flash blue indicating it has been newly posted. The dot indicator next to your post will immediately show an outline icon if Canvas automatically marks your posts as read. However, if you manually mark your posts as read, the indicator will remain a solid dot.

Reply to a Comment in a Focused Discussion

In a focused discussion, you can reply to a comment already posted by another student by clicking in the reply field below the post.

Post a Message

To enter your reply, add links, photos, equations, and/or media, use the Rich Content Editor [1]. To attach files to your discussion reply, click the Attach link [2].

To post your reply, click the Post Reply button [3].

Note: If you post your discussion response before an attached image finishes uploading, Canvas displays a warning message.

View Your Reply

Your reply will be posted at the bottom of the discussion reply thread. The border of your post will flash blue indicating it has been newly posted. The dot indicator next to your post will immediately turn white if Canvas automatically marks your posts as read. However, if you manually mark your posts as read, the indicator will remain blue.

Reply to a Comment in a Threaded Discussion

In a threaded discussion, you can reply to a comment already posted by another student. Locate the post you want to reply to and click the reply icon.

Post a Message

To enter your reply, add links, photos, equations, and/or media, use the Rich Content Editor [1]. To attach files to your discussion reply, click the Attach link [2].

To post your reply, click the Post Reply button [3].

Note: If you post your discussion response before an attached image finishes uploading, Canvas displays a warning message.

View Your Reply

Your reply will be posted at the bottom of the discussion reply thread. The border of your post will flash blue indicating it has been newly posted. The unread icon next to your post will immediately change to the read icon if Canvas automatically marks your posts as read. However, if you manually mark your posts as read, it will show the unread icon until you manually mark the post as read.