Center for Curriculum, Instruction and Technology (CCIT)

✅ A: The decision to enable the Discussions Redesign at the beginning of the semester was made by Academic Administration and IS to ensure a smooth transition. Canvas indicated that the redesign would either need to be enabled before the semester began or forcibly updated mid-semester. To minimize disruption, the redesign was enabled before classes started.

✅ A: Key changes that may require faculty to adjust their workflow include:

• New replies now filter to the top of the discussion rather than staying in chronological order under the original post
• The unread/read visual indicators (blue dots) from the previous version are no longer clickable
• Settings like sort order and expanded/collapsed threads reset to default when re-entering the discussion
• Deleting a post leaves a placeholder rather than removing it entirely and replies remain
• Interface returns to certain default settings on the browser refresh

For more information on the Canvas Discussions Redesign, visit the Instructure Guide: 🤿 Dive into Discussion Redesign

✅ A: When entering a discussion forum, select VIEW INLINE > EXPAND THREADS at the top to see all responses (similar to the view in the previous version). Replies will be automatically marked as read as you scroll through the discussion.

💻 Instructure Guide: How do I view and sort discussion replies in Discussions Redesign as an instructor?

✅ A: The blue dot indicates that posts are unread. Posts are automatically marked as read when scrolling past them by default. You cannot click on the indicator to mark it read/unread.

💻 Instructure Guide: How do I mark discussions replies as read or unread in Discussions Redesign as an instructor?

✅ A: Yes, to manually mark posts and replies as read, you can change this setting for all courses. Visit the Discussions tab in the Course Navigation > select the Settings gear button at the top right > select the checkbox to MANUALLY MARK REPLIES AS READ

🚨 Please note: This means that you must use the kebab menu (the 3 dots next to the replies) to mark them as read manually. Selecting this setting affects ALL OF YOUR COURSES!

💻 Instructure Guide: How do I change discussion settings to manually mark discussion replies as read as an instructor?

✅ A: Currently, custom view settings do not persist when navigating away and returning to the discussion. The settings return to the default collapsed view and "Newest to Oldest" order. At this time, there is no way to change these default settings at the course or user level.

💡Tip: If you would like the new interface to resemble the old interface, select VIEW INLINE > EXPAND THREADS at the top when you enter a discussion forum to view all posts and replies inline. All new responses to the discussion appear at the top of the list, so you don't have to search for them.

✅ A: Yes, students can be given the option edit and delete their posts and replies. In your (instructor) course > click SETTINGS in the course navigation and scroll to the bottom of the Course Details > click MORE OPTIONS > select LET STUDENTS EDIT OR DELETE THEIR OWN DISCUSSION REPLIES > click UPDATE COURSE DETAILS to save the updated settings.

🚨 Please note: This setting is all or nothing - they can be given the option to both edit and delete discussion replies, or you can prevent them from editing/deleting replies.

✅ A: When an instructor deletes a reply, a placeholder remains showing the reply was deleted. Student replies to the deleted post are retained. To completely remove a reply and its responses, they would need to be individually deleted.

💡 Keep in mind that students will be able to see the placeholder for the deleted reply that says Deleted by <Name> with the date it was deleted.

✅ A: Yes, you can edit or delete your posts and replies using the options in the kebab menu (the three-dot icon). Editing modifies the content, while deleting removes the post entirely. If you delete a post with replies, the replies will be retained with a placeholder indicating the original post was deleted.

✅ A: A blue dot appears next to posts and replies that are unread. As you scroll, the blue dots will disappear. You will see the newest unread posts and replies at the top. Even if a post was submitted days ago, when someone replies, it moves to the top. You will see # Replies, # Unread under each post that has unread replies.

💡 Tip: Select "Unread" from the view drop-down menu at the top to filter the discussion to only display unread replies and new posts.

💻 Instructure Guide: How do I use Discussions Redesign as an instructor?

✅ A: Use the EXPAND THREADS button at the top to view all posts and replies inline. Then interact as you usually would by replying to each post or to replies.

✅ A: Yes, when viewing the discussion with threads collapsed, the number of replies for each thread is displayed next to the original post's title.

✅ A: Yes, when creating or editing a discussion, select the "Users must post before seeing replies" checkbox in the settings when you set up the discussion to require students to post before viewing replies.

💻 Instructure Guide: How do I create a discussion using Discussions Redesign as an instructor?

✅ A: Mentions help users know the intended recipient(s) of a reply in a discussion. Especially in lengthy threads, it is helpful to reply directly to a user to make it clear who is the intended recipient. It's a good habit to mention names in responses to develop a sense of community.

To mention someone in a discussion reply: Type the @ symbol and then select the desired name from the list of participants in the discussion. When you mention a user, you alert them that you responded to their ideas. If their mentions notification is enabled, the user who is mentioned receives a notification about the interaction.

💻 Instructure Guide: Mentions
💻 Instructure Guide: How do I mention a user in a discussion reply in Discussions Redesign as an instructor?

✅ A: SpeedGrader can still be accessed through the kebab (3 dots) menu, just as the previous version of Discussions. You can move through your students using the arrows or the drop-down list of students and grade as you did before. If you need additional support or help optimizing your workflow in the new Discussions interface, please reach out to the CCIT team.

💻 Instructure Guide: How do I grade a graded discussion?

✅ A: Select Discussions in the course navigation > Click the Settings gear button at the top right > select or deselect the checkbox next to REPORT REPLIES > click SAVE SETTINGS.

💻 Instructure Guide: How do I allow students to report a reply in a discussion as an instructor?

✅ A: When notifications for discussion replies are enabled, you receive an email notification in your Outlook email letting you know that some replied to the discussion board. If you click REPLY in that email, it will post the entire email thread in your discussion. We recommend replying to discussions on the discussion board and not from Outlook. See Cara's response to me below. It is formatted the same as the original email message in Outlook. 

✅ A: For immediate support, you can contact Canvas Support at (833) 286-8936, or contact the CCIT Team at ccitinfo@berkeleycollege.edu.

✅ A: You click SETTINGS at the bottom of the course navigation, select the NAVIGATION tab at the top of the window, and click the kebab menu (3 dots) next to CHAT. Select DISABLE to remove it and it will pop down into the hidden list of tools that you can re-enable at any time. Don't forget to click SAVE to retain your updates!

💻 Instructure Guide: How do I manage course navigation links?