We (IT-TLTS) are delighted to announce an important update to our Canvas platform designed to enhance your teaching experience and improve student interaction. Starting July 20, 2024, all Canvas users will experience the newly redesigned Discussion Boards, introducing a range of exciting features while retaining all existing functionalities (please check the comparison chart for additional specifics).


Key New Features of the Redesigned Discussion Boards:

  1. Flexible Viewing Options: Switch between inline and split views for a more tailored reading experience.
  2. Mentions and Quoting: Utilize the @ character to mention colleagues or students and quote specific parts of a discussion for clarity.
  3. Anonymous Discussions: Enable full and partial anonymity in graded discussions to encourage candid student responses.
  4. Reply Reporting: Instructors can receive notifications about replies to keep track of discussions effectively.
  5. Improved Search and Filtering: Enhanced search functionality with highlighting, along with sorting options such as "Newest to Oldest" and "Oldest to Newest."


Comparison Chart: Legacy vs. Redesigned Features:                                



Note: Please see the following for a detailed explanation of each feature.


Flexible Viewing Options

Users will have the option to switch between Inline or Split Views for a more tailored reading experience. When a reply includes additional replies, the number of replies is displayed, as well as the number of unread replies (specific to the user viewing the reply). Users can choose to view these replies Inline or in a Split View.


 


Click Replies:

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Example: Inline View

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Example: Split View

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Mentions

Users can mention other users in discussion replies by using the @ symbol. The drop-down menu displays all available users in the course.

Mentions in DIscussions

  

Quotes 

Users can quote other replies as part of their discussion reply. 

 

Quotes in discussion replies

 

Anonymous Discussions

Discussions allow teachers to create anonymous discussions. By default, this option is set to off. Student names and profile pictures are displayed when they post to discussions. Instructors can host anonymous discussions, where student identifiers such as names, pictures, and role labels will be hidden.

When anonymity is turned on for a discussion, Grading, and Groups are not supported in anonymous discussions.

 

Anonymous Discussion Option

 

Note: Teachers, TAs, and course admins will always be identified in their discussion posts.

 

Reply Reporting

Now, within individual discussions, replies can be reported by students and teachers. Reply replies can be enabled or disabled in the Discussions Settings menu.

 

Discussion Settings

 

When enabled, all users can report replies by clicking the Settings menu for the reply and clicking the Report link. 

Report Button

 

When a user reports a reply, the user must indicate why the reply is being reported (inappropriate, offensive, abusive, or Other). Reporting a reply cannot be undone.

 

Report Reply Window


Please refer to the updated Canvas Instructor Guide for detailed information on navigating these changes; additionally, the data sheet created by Instructure provides a comprehensive comparison of legacy and redesigned features.


If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact IT Helpdesk