Introduction

Before you learn how to operate each of Canvas's communication and discussion tools, the resources on this page will help you examine the available options and consider your overall communication strategy for keeping students informed and engaged throughout your course.

On This Page:

Explore options for communication and discussion
Create your communication plan

Explore options for communication and discussion

Canvas has a few different options for communicating with your students, so it's important to understand which communication tool will best serve your purpose:

Use announcements when you want to inform the entire class about course activities or to post interesting course-related topics
Use conversations when you want to communicate with a group, an individual student, or group of students
Use discussions when you want interactive communication between two or more people within your course

Watch a short video to learn how Announcements, Discussions, Conversations, and other tools can help you communicate with students in Canvas:

Communication Overview (9 min)

Create your communication plan

In all courses, consistent, positive communication with students is key, but it is crucial to the success of online courses. Review these best practices for communication with students in an online course, but keep in mind most of these are widely applicable and may be adapted to your specific teaching context:

Creating a communication plan in your online class

Ten Best Practices for Teaching Online

Back to top

Quick Navigation

Click the Next ▶ button in the lower right to continue,
or use the buttons below to jump to a page:

Learning Path Overview Module 4 Overview