Watch the video below or read on to learn more about the changes
What will I see on my Canvas site?
1. The Discussions landing page (when you click 'Discussions' in the navigation menu) looks the same as before.
2. Any discussions that get imported from a past Canvas site or that you create ('+Discussion' button) will automatically reflect the new user interface.
This guideDownload This guide outlines ways you can interact with the updated user interface as you set up Discussions on your Canvas site(s).
What new features are available?
Setting up a Discussion
Anonymous posting options
Instructors can set discussions to be fully or partially anonymous. By default this option is set to Off. Learn more.
'Disallow threaded replies' option
Instructors can restrict threaded replies, which allows only replies to the topic and not to other replies. By default this box is unchecked* and once there are threaded replies in a discussion, this setting cannot be changed. Learn more.
*Note: If you created a new Discussion on your fall site before August 14 and want replies to be threaded, ensure the 'Disallow threaded replies' box is not checked. Canvas's release of this new feature on August 14 caused the box to be checked for some existing Discussions that don't have replies yet.
Report replies option
Under Discussion Settings (gear icon), instructors can choose to let students 'Report replies,' where instructors receive notifications for inappropriate or offensive comments. Learn more.
The toolbar is now located at the top of a discussion and includes new features to help locate and read through student replies:
Enhanced search
Use the search field [a] to find replies from specific students or locate a specific entry. Matching text results will be highlighted.
Filter and sort
Use the filter dropdown menu [b] to filter by all replies or unread replies. Use the 'Sort' button [c] to sort replies by newest or oldest. By default newest replies now display at the top of the first page.
Flexible viewing options for threads
The 'View Split Screen' button [d] lets you switch from an inline view (displays threaded replies going downward) to a split view (displays threaded replies in a sidebar). To view threaded replies all at once, click the 'Expand Threads' button [e].
To enhance collaboration and interaction when posting a reply, instructors and students can mention others by typing the @ symbol and selecting a user from the list. Learn more.
Quote replies
When posting a reply, instructors and students can quote another reply as part of their own reply. A quoted reply will @mention the post's author and quote the first line of the original post. Learn more.
Role labels
A label displays for users with a Teacher (instructor) or TA role, which helps students quickly identify course team members. The creator of a discussion also gets an "Author" label.
For more resources on Discussions, refer to this section of Canvas's Instructor Guide.