After going through a pilot phase, Ed Discussion has been approved as an enterprise service for the entire University.
Ed Discussion is an online communication tool that can be used to facilitate synchronous and asynchronous online discussions in a course. It is integrated with Canvas and supports customizable thread categories and subcategories, anonymous posting, private posts among instructors and TAs, LaTex, simple polling, multiple computer programming languages, and more. It is FERPA-compliant and increases student engagement, peer learning, and active inquiry in courses. The system is Q&A-based, with an intuitive interface that supports rich content.
Ed Discussion can be used as a student-led forum where students ask and answer each other’s questions, as a place for real-time discussions for project work, or as a venue for back-channel discussion between teaching team members. Instructors and students can subscribe to certain topics of interest and receive notifications via email when responses are made to their chosen discussion topics.
If you would like to learn more, we invite you to explore the following resources:
- Review the Ed Discussion Quickstart Guide for step-by-step instructions for setting up Ed Discussion in Canvas and an introduction to the most common features. For more details about the admin console and analytics, please review the Advanced Features Guide.
- Attend an interactive vendor-led demonstration of how to use Ed Discussion. The next session will be Thursday, December 2, at 10:00 A.M. Register for the Ed Discussion Live Demonstration. Alternatively, you can review the 30-minute demonstration recording.
- For guidance on the pedagogical uses of discussion forums, register for the Effective Uses of Discussion Forums workshop, Tuesday, November 16, at 10:00 am.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss Ed Discussion, please stop by our Office Hours or contact Academic Technology Solutions to schedule an individual consultation.
(Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash)
