How Do I Create a Discussion in Canvas?

Canvas Discussions let you build community, prompt higher-order thinking, and give students a space to respond to each other’s ideas — graded or ungraded, whole-class or by group. This guide walks you through creating a discussion from start to finish and the options you’ll want to decide on along the way.

Before You Start: Preparation Checklist

Before you open your course in Canvas, decide on the following:

• Will this discussion be graded or ungraded? Graded discussions need points and a grading type; ungraded ones can still appear on students’ to-do list.
• Do you want threaded replies (recommended)? Once students start replying in a threaded discussion, you cannot switch threading off — decide before you publish.
• Do you need any level of anonymity? Anonymous discussions cannot be graded or used as group discussions, so this choice affects what other options are available to you.
• Is this a whole-class discussion or a group discussion?
• Have your prompt, instructions, and any files you plan to attach ready, along with the dates you want the discussion open, due, and closed.

Create a Discussion

1. In Course Navigation, click Discussions.
2. Click + Discussion to start a new discussion topic.
3. In the Topic Title field, enter a title for the discussion.
4. Use the Rich Content Editor to write your prompt or instructions, and attach any files students need. Uploaded files save to Course Files as hidden until the discussion becomes available.
5. Choose an anonymity setting: student names and pictures shown by default, partial anonymity (students choose whether to reveal their identity), or full anonymity. Remember that anonymous discussions cannot be graded or group-based, and instructor/TA replies are never shown anonymously.
6. Set any additional options you need: disallow threaded replies, require students to post before viewing other replies, enable a podcast feed, allow liking (optionally restricted to graders), or add the discussion to students’ to-do list.
7. To make it a graded discussion, check Graded, then enter points possible, a grading type, and any peer review or group discussion settings. Add a rubric here if you’re using one.
8. In Assign To, choose who the discussion is for — everyone, specific sections, or individual students — and set Available from and Until dates. Click Assign To again if you need a second group with different dates (for example, to reopen grading for students added later).
9. Click Save & Publish to make the discussion available immediately, or Save to keep it as a draft you’ll publish later.

Best Practices for Canvas Discussions

• Subscribe to a discussion so you’re notified as new posts come in and can respond in a timely way.
• Use threaded replies to keep longer discussions organized and easy to follow.
• Create separate discussion forums by week or topic rather than one long-running thread for the whole term.
• Keep your prompt and instructions brief and scannable — avoid long, dense paragraphs.
• Use descriptive link text instead of raw URLs or “click here” when linking to readings or resources.
• If you restrict a discussion to specific students after posts have started, earlier posts stay visible, but only the newly assigned students can be graded — add a second Assign To group for “Everyone Else” if you need to grade students you excluded at first.

Troubleshooting

Issue: The option to make the discussion anonymous is unavailable.

Solution: Anonymous discussions can’t be graded or set up as group discussions. Turn off grading and group settings first if you need anonymity, or leave anonymity off if grading is required.

Issue: You can no longer turn off threaded replies.

Solution: Once students have posted threaded replies, Canvas won’t let you disable threading for that discussion. Decide on your reply structure before you publish, and create a new discussion if you need to change it.

Issue: Students say they can’t see the discussion yet.

Solution: Check your Available from date — before that date, students can only see the title, not the content. Also confirm the discussion has been published (not just saved as a draft) using the Publish icon.

Self-Check Questions

• Have I decided whether this discussion is graded, and if so, set points and a grading type?
• Do my Available from and Until dates match when I actually want students posting?
• Have I chosen threading and anonymity settings I’m comfortable keeping for the whole discussion?
• Did I click Save & Publish, or does the discussion still need to be published?
• Is my prompt clear, scannable, and free of “click here” style links?

Additional Resources

• Instructure Community: How Do I Create a Discussion as an Instructor?
• Cornell Canvas: Getting Started with Canvas Discussions
• MSU Billings CTL: How Do I Create a Discussion in Canvas?

Need Extra Support?

If you’d like help setting up a discussion, choosing options for your course, or troubleshooting an issue with Canvas discussions, reach out to the TLC.