Discussions (Instructors)

As of May 6, 2024 Canvas discussion boards have a new user interface.

Some of the new features include:

Different Viewing Options: Choose between Inline and Split Screen views for enhanced readability.
"@" Communication Tools: Mention individuals in posts with “@” to interact with others in the course.
Quote Previous Replies: Include original replies within responses for clarity.
Anonymous Discussion Settings: Facilitate open dialogue with fully or partially anonymous discussions.
Added Filtering and Sorting: Navigate discussions with options to filter by unread, all, or read, and sort from newest to oldest or oldest to newest.

Please note: On the Canvas Mobile App fonts may appear small or light colored. The workaround is to use a browser and/or "desktop mode" to view the Canvas Discussion Tool.

Discussions are used within Canvas for students to communicate with one another in collaborative ways. The possibilities within Discussions are that they can be whole-class or group-based (small-group) and have initial and/or reply posts.

If you have feedback about the Discussion Redesign Tool, please share it with Canvas!

To do this, join the Canvas Community (free account) and click on this link to view and participate in the Canvas Community Discussion Redesign Forum.

Some elements of the Discussion Interface Look Different

New Features from the Discussion Redesign

How do I use Discussions Tool as an instructor?

Resources

If you’re curious what your students see, reference this Discussions (Students) article that is student-facing. If you would like to see Canvas' documentation directly, you can find that at How do I use Discussions Redesign as an instructor? (once on this page there are other questions from the Instructor Guide to view related to Discussions Redesign).