Canvas - Discussions
Discussions
Participation, via the Discussions tool, is a high priority in fully Online courses. Just as you would in a face-to-face class, you will be expected to discuss questions, with your classmates, as they are assigned by the instructor. Many students appreciate the asynchronous format, because it allows participants time to carefully consider the question and compose a well-conceived answer.
Live Virtual courses may or may not have discussions as it is up to the instructor to decide if you will need to participate in these outside of your class.
Take a few minutes to watch the video below for a short tutorial on how discussions work.
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Though your instructor may offer specific discussion guidelines, the following are universal rules in a fully Online course:
Finding Your Discussion:
Discussion descriptions can be accessed through the Discussions tool in the course menu at left. You may also find links to specific discussions linked into a learning module, especially if you are in a fully Online course. Threaded discussions are one type of discussions that allows responses to a specific post. However, some discussions may be unthreaded, in which case all posts will be shown on the same page in reverse chronological (i.e., latest post appears first) order.
Submission Expectations:
Quality and quantity of participation are important. Responses like "I agree" or "You are right" do not further conversation. Unless the instructor's guidelines differ, expect to post at least one substantive comment and two replies to other students' comments for each discussion. When you click in the Reply box to begin your submission, the rich text editor will appear, allowing you to format your text, add links, or embed pictures or other rich context. You can also subscribe to an individual thread if you set up to receive notifications via email.
Relevant Responses:
Only post comments related to the assigned discussion.
Behavior Expectations:
Always remember that you are "in class" and conduct yourself accordingly. Disagreements are expected, and often necessary to keep conversation going. However, rude behavior or rough language will not be tolerated. Additionally, your posts should employ full sentences, correct spelling and grammar, and no acronyms (OMG, LOL, etc.).
Want to Know More about Discussions?
Resources: