Canvas Discussions is an asynchronous discussion board tool that is part of Canvas. Instructors and students access Discussions through the course navigation button within a Canvas site.
How can I use Canvas Discussions in teaching?
- Prepare a thread for students to introduce themselves to the class at the beginning of the semester.
- Create a Q&A thread for the class and ask that students post questions there instead of contacting you by email.
- You can also encourage students to answer questions. Create a “water cooler” thread for students to chat about topics unrelated to the class.
- This allows students to connect with each other and helps build social presence in the course.
- Pose questions relevant to the module content for discussion and reflection.
- Ask students to use the audio and video tools in the Rich Content Editor to post their responses.
- Have students work through a case or problem.
- Embed a media prompt (a diagram, video, etc.) for students to respond to.
What is unique about Canvas Discussions?
- Discussion topics can be organized as focused or threaded discussions.
- Discussions can be created as an assignment for grading purposes.
- Discussions can serve as a forum for topical and current events.
- Discussions can also be created within student groups.
- Discussions can be populated with various media content.
- You can subscribe to discussions for posting updates.
- Discussions may also be peer reviewed.
Who can use it?
Canvas users with an instructor or student role.
How do I get started?
Access Discussions through the course navigation button within a Canvas site. Discussions are a part of Canvas, so there is no software to install. Canvas Discussions will run in your web browser and on almost any internet connection.