Discussions Bug - Threaded Replies
On August 14th, 2024, Canvas deployed a new option in Discussions allowing you to disallow threaded replies. This feature was available in the legacy Discussions but had been missing in the new redesigned version that had started in the Summer term of 2024. As a result of Canvas’ update, some of you may have noticed inconsistencies in your existing discussions, and we’d like to clarify the situation.
What Happened?
Previously, Canvas stored all discussions—whether created in the legacy or redesigned version—with the same default setting for threaded replies. This made it difficult to distinguish between discussions where threading was intentionally disabled versus discussions created in the redesigned version where threads had not yet been implemented. To resolve this, Canvas applied adjustments to some of your discussion settings based on the following scenarios:
If an existing discussion was explicitly set to threaded, the "Disallow Threaded Replies" setting remains unchecked, meaning threading is allowed.
If an existing discussion was not set to threaded but already had threaded replies, the setting also remains unchecked, and Canvas converted these discussions to allow threading.
If an existing discussion was not set to threaded and had no threaded replies, Canvas automatically checked the "Disallow Threaded Replies" setting. This could apply to discussions created either in the legacy system with threading disabled or in the redesigned version where threads were not yet available.
What You Need to Do:
If you recently created a discussion intending to allow threaded replies, but Canvas automatically disabled this option, you can correct it by editing the discussion and unchecking the "Disallow Threaded Replies" option.
Moving Forward:
For all newly created discussions:
If the "Disallow Threaded Replies" setting is unchecked, the discussion will allow threaded replies.
If the setting is checked, threaded replies will be disabled.
Additionally, if a discussion is published and contains at least one threaded reply, Canvas will lock the "Disallow Threaded Replies" setting, and it cannot be changed.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused by this Canvas update. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the EdTech team at edtech@fscj.edu