Create a Discussion in Canvas

Last updated on July 16, 2024

Canvas provides many opportunities for student interaction and feedback. Among these is a discussion tool that allows students to interact with each other in a forum using the Rich Content Editor. You may then provide feedback or grades to each discussion post.

Directions

*Note: The Discussion tool was updated in July 2024. For more information, please see the Get Started with New Discussions in Canvas Spotlight.

1. Go to MSU Denver’s Faculty and Staff Hub.
2. Click Canvas in the Teaching & Learning section.
3. Log in to your Canvas Account.
4. Select the Course you’d like to work in.
5. Click Modules on the course navigation menu to the left.
6. Scroll to the Module you’d like to add a discussion to.
7. Click the + Button next to the name of the Module.
8. Select Discussion from the drop-down menu.
9. Click [Create Topic].
10. Type a Title for your discussion in the Topic Name box.
11. Click Add Item.
12. Click the Name of the discussion you created in the module.
13. Click Edit.
14. InputDetails, Prompts, and Media using the Rich Content Editor (the larger of the blank input boxes).
    • For more detail on using the Rich Content Editor, visit our tutorial, “Use the Rich Content Editor to Modify Text, Insert Links, Attach Files, and Connect Apps.”
15. Click the drop-down menu titled Post To and select the appropriate course(s).
16. Attach a File, if desired.
17. Click the Checkbox next to each of the Options you would like to apply to this discussion:
    • Click Allow Threaded Replies to allow students to create a series of replies under another student’s discussion post.
    • Click Users Must Post before Seeing Replies to require students to post prior to being able to read classmates’ posts.
    • Click Enable Podcast Feed to allow students to subscribe and listen to the media posts within a discussion from an external podcasting service. You will need to upload media to the Rich Content Editor for updates to be added to the podcast feed.
    • Click Graded to enable SpeedGrader for this discussion. For more information, refer to the “Grade Discussions in Canvas” tutorial.
    • Click Allow Liking to allow students to “like” other students’ discussion posts.
    • Click Add to Student To-do to add an ungraded discussion to a student’s to-do list within Canvas. 
    • Click This Is a Group Discussion to assign the discussion to new/existing groups. For more information, visit the “Set Up Small Group Discussions” tutorial.
    • Click Save.
      • Note: Once you have saved the discussion, you may click the Subscribe button on the right to enable/disable notifications.