Canvas: Create a Group Discussion
Create a Group Discussion
Canvas discussions allow for blog-like interaction amongst students and their instructors. A discussion can be for the whole class or can be assigned to small groups of students. A group discussion assignment creates an identical discussion topic in each group category. When students reply to the discussion topic they do so within their group environment. The process to create a group discussion is as follows.
Ungraded Group Discussions
- In your Canvas course, select Discussions from the course menu.
- Click on the +Discussion button to create a new discussion.

- State the topic/title of your discussion.
- Use the text box to type a question or a description of what you expect from students on this particular discussion. You also have the option to upload a file [A] as part of your discussion description.

- To set up your discussion, check all the options that you want to apply.
- Check the box next to This is a Group Discussion and either select a group set or create a new one. Each group of students in that category will have its own conversation.
- If your discussion will be available all term, do not fill out the Available From/Until boxes. If you wish your discussion to be open for only a certain period of time, fill in the Available From/Until boxes. Note: if you have selected Graded in the Options [5], then you will have additional options to complete - see the Graded Discussions tab above.
- Click on Save or Save & Publish if you are ready to share the discussion with your students.
Graded Group Discussions
Complete steps 1-4 for an ungraded discussion, and continue at step 5 below:
- To set up your discussion, check all the options that you want to apply. For a graded discussion, check the box next to Graded.
- Check the box next to This is a Group Discussion and either select a group set or create a new one. Each group of students in that category will have its own conversation.
- Enter the Points Possible for the discussion.
- Select how the grade will be displayed: Percentage, Complete/Incomplete, Points, Letter Grade or GPA Scale.
- Select an Assignment Group for the Discussion - if you use grade weighting in your course, this will determine the weight of this assignment.
- If you want Peer Reviews, check the box next to Require Peer Reviews, then choose if you will manually or automatically assign peer reviews.
- Fill in the Assign box - add who the Group discussion is assigned to (Everyone, just a few groups, etc.), a due date (after which the responses will be marked late), and available dates.
- Click on Save or Save & Publish if you are ready to share the discussion with your students.
Updated September 2020