Using Class Discussion as an Instructor

Owned by Helen Gong
Last updated: Nov 09, 2023 by Craig Miller
4 min read

Table of Contents

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Overview

This page introduces you to discussions in Canvas, and also includes ideas about how to use discussions in Canvas to increase student participation and engagement with one another. This is especially important for blended and online courses, when students have less opportunity to discuss in person, but can be used as compliments to in-class activities for traditional courses as well.  

Class Discussion

You can use Canvas Discussions for an entire class or student group. Different from Group Discussion, Class Discussion allows students to participate in a conversation with an entire class. Instructors can create a class discussion topic as an assignment for grading purposes (and seamlessly integrated with the Canvas Gradebook), or simply serve a forum for topical and current events.

Discussions Overview (Instructors)

This video from the Canvas guides explains the basics of setting up and using discussions.

Canvas Discussions 

Focused Discussions

Focused Discussions only allow for two levels of nesting, the original post and subsequent replies. Focused discussions are relatively short-lived interactions that tend to disappear as the course progresses. One student posts a message, and multiple peers can comment on it but cannot develop the conversation beyond two layers of nesting. 

Focused discussions might be used to:

  • Weekly forum for questions related to that week’s activities 
  • Share solutions to a single problem
  • Answer a single question 
  • Get feedback from peers on a work in progress

focused discussion

How to Create a Focused Discussion

  • Go to Discussions [1] from the course navigation bar.
  • Click on + Discussion [2] to setup a topic.

create discussion

  • Create a title and discussion content.
  • Uncheck the box of "Allow threaded replies" under Options.

(info) This option avoids students from developing a conversation with infinite levels of nesting (replies within replies).

allow threaded replies unchecked

Other Settings in Options

  • Graded allows you to add this discussion as an assignment for grading. 
  • Users must post before seeing replies can stop students seeing peers’ solutions/answers before they post theirs. 
  • Allow liking allows graders or students to place a like to replies. 
  • Add to student to-do allows you to add a certain date from when students will see this topic in the student to-do list as a reminder. 
  • Group Discussion: Since this is a discussion for the entire class, we will not change any settings under Group Discussion. Learn more about Group Discussion from here.
  • Add availability date.

Options

Threaded Discussions

Threaded Discussions allow for replies within replies and allow commenters to continue chatting on a single nested tread. Threaded may be long-standing spaces for thoughts that persist throughout an entire course. One student posts a message, and multiple peers can comment on it with the freedom to create any number of related discussion topics and comments.

Threaded Discussion might be used to:

  • Debate the pros and cons of a single issue or multiple issues
  • Organize results from a complex research activity
  • Share and iterate upon ideas shared by each student in the course 
  • Explore at length the feasibility of different solutions to a complex problem 
  • Facilitate discussions around a discussion (fishbowl conversations) 
  • Facilitate group discussions around multiple topics 

threaded discussion

How to Create a Threaded Discussion

  • Go to Discussion [1] from the course navigation bar.
  • Click on + Discussion [2] to create a topic.

create discussion

  • Create a title and discussion content.
  • Check the box of "Allow threaded replies" under Options.

(info) This option allows students developing a conversation with infinite levels of nesting (replies within replies).

allow threaded replies checked

Other Settings in Options

  • Graded allows you to add this discussion as an assignment for grading. 
  • Users must post before seeing replies: (info) Normally this box is unchecked since most of scenarios using threaded discussions focus on comments. 
  • Allow liking allows graders or students to like discussion replies. 
  • Add to student to-do allows you to add a certain date from when students will see this topic in the student to-do list as a reminder.
  • Group Discussion: Since this is a discussion for the entire class, we will not change any settings under Group Discussion. Learn more about Group Discussion from here.
  • Add availability date.

How Can I Manage a Discussion Topic as an Instructor

  • Edit, delete a discussion topic by clicking [1]. 
  • Subscribe a discussion and be notified of replies by clicking [2]. 
  • Edit or delete individual student discussion posts [3].

manage a discussion

  • Pin discussion threads that you want your students to see at the top of the Discussions page by clicking [4]. 
  • Close discussion threads to comments by clicking [5]. 

Additional Resources