Module 4 Communication and Interaction in Canvas

Canvas Communication and Interaction Tools

In This Section

Communication with students within Canvas: Inbox, Announcements, Pronto, Feedback in Speedgrader.
Interaction in Canvas: Discussions, Collaborations, Pronto

Communication with Students

Communication in a Canvas course occurs through one‑to‑one interactions (Inbox messages and feedback), one‑to‑many communication (Announcements), and many‑to‑many engagement (Discussions and media comments). Canvas tools support each of these communication types and help maintain connection and clarity throughout the course.

Canvas lets students set up course‑level and account‑level notifications that can arrive by email or text. Since those messages link straight to specific course items, students may enter your course at different points. A clear Home Page, orientation module, and intentional early‑course communications help guide students to the course structure you’ve designed and create a more navigable, cohesive learning experience.

Go through the tabs below to learn more about tools in Canvas that support communication within a course.

Canvas Inbox

The Inbox is a built‑in messaging tool that allows email-like communication with individual students, groups, or an entire course, making it easy to send and receive messages within Canvas.

You can adjust your notification settings to receive messages using external channels such as the email linked with your Canvas account.

You can add signatures to your messages and set up out of office replies. You can also use filters to select messages from specific courses, archived messages, and submission comments.

Learn more on how to use the Canvas Inbox from the Canvas Inbox Guide.

Announcements

Global Announcements: Global announcements in Canvas are institution‑wide messages to share important information such as system updates, maintenance notices, or key college information with users. These messages appear as banner notifications at the top of the Dashboard and can be targeted specifically to instructors, student, or both.

Course Announcements: These allow instructors to broadcast timely messages such as updates, reminders, or changes to all students in a course. Announcements appear within the course and are typically delivered to students via email or the Canvas app, based on their notification settings.

Key Features

Central course‑wide communication visible in the Announcements area and optionally on the home page
Automatic student notifications (email/app)
Rich Content Editor functionality for text, images, videos, and links
Ability to schedule announcements for future release
Optional student comments for interaction
Ignite AI translation available as a Feature Option

Common Uses

Weekly overviews and deadline reminders
Schedule or syllabus updates
Assignment clarifications
Sharing course news or supplemental resources

Tip: Use the Adjust-All and Due Date Modifier tools to adjust announcement dates and set up future announcements. You can also use DesignPLUS tools for announcement layout and design.

Learn how to set up and utilize this feature effectively: How do I Set up Announcements?

Pronto

Pronto is an app that works within and outside of Canvas to enable seamless, fun, and effective communication between faculty and students, and among students.

If you do not want Pronto to be available for any class, opt out via the Pronto Course Management tool.

Pronto features include:

Real‑time chat without sharing personal contact information
Group creation and course announcements
Message translation
Live streaming and group video chat
File storage and sharing
Task management tools
Built‑in accessibility and privacy controls
Instructor access to usage and engagement data

Watch this six minute video by Prof. Tanessa Sanchez as she takes us on a Pronto tour.

Visit the Pronto page to learn more about accessing Pronto and watch workshops by MiraCosta faculty on using this tool to communicate with their students.

Note: Pronto only becomes active for a Canvas course after it is published. In addition, on mobile devices, Pronto will not show up within the Canvas app or inside of Canvas in a mobile browser. Use the free Pronto app (search your app store for “Pronto: Team Communication”).

Feedback

Instructors can provide direct written, audio, or video feedback to students via the comments section in the Speedgrader. Learn more on how to provide feedback to students in the Speedgrader.

In addition, if comments are enabled, students and instructors can also add comments to Studio videos.

Interactions in Canvas

Interactions in Canvas are central to building an engaging and supportive online learning environment, connecting students with one another and with their instructor in meaningful ways. Canvas offers a range of tools such as Discussions, Collaborations, Pronto, WeVideo, and Canvas Studio. These tools support different types of interaction, from reflective dialogue and group collaboration to real‑time messaging and multimedia engagement. Used intentionally, these tools help foster communication, collaboration, and community, allowing students to share ideas, practice skills, and receive feedback while staying connected to the instructor and their peers throughout the course. Go through the tabs below to learn more about tools in Canvas that encourage engagement and interaction within a course.

Discussions

Canvas discussions offer flexible controls to support intentional student engagement. Like other content, discussions can be published or unpublished, scheduled for specific availability dates, or manually locked. When availability ends, discussions remain readable but cannot receive new replies, helping focus participation within a defined timeframe.

Canvas supports two discussion types: Focused discussions, which allow only responses to the prompt, and Threaded discussions, which enable nested replies. Instructors can also require students to post before viewing others’ responses to encourage original thinking.

Additional options include pinning discussions, enabling likes (and sorting by them), and creating group discussions to support collaboration or encourage participation in smaller settings.

Discussions can be graded to emphasize participation. Canvas supports rubrics for discussions, making expectations clear and feedback efficient. Rubrics are customizable, reusable, and support multiple criteria and rating scales.

Instructors can also enable discussion checkpoints. These checkpoints provide the ability to award points for discussion posts/replies as well as separate points for responses to replies.

Collaborations

Canvas Collaborations let multiple users work on the same document simultaneously, with changes saved and visible in real time. They are useful for shared notes, group planning (such as agendas for meetings or synchronous sessions), creating a text‑based class whiteboard, and supporting group assignments that require collaborative writing or editing. For step-by step details visit the Canvas Collaborations guide.

Watch this short video to access and use Collaborations in your course.

Pronto

Pronto supports interaction in a course by providing fast, inclusive, and flexible communication tools that connect students with each other and with the instructor in real time. Integrated with Canvas, Pronto enables one‑to‑one, one‑to‑many, and many‑to‑many interactions without requiring anyone to share personal contact information.

Real‑time chat allows students and instructors to message individuals or entire classes instantly, sharing text, files, images, and media to support quick questions, peer support, and timely instructor feedback.
Groups created in Canvas automatically carry over to Pronto, making it easy to support group projects and collaboration, while students and instructors can also create informal groups as needed.
Announcements let instructors send real‑time messages to one or multiple classes at once, ensuring students receive critical updates quickly.
Message translation supports equitable participation by allowing users to communicate in their preferred language, with automatic translation for recipients.
Live video and group video chat enable face‑to‑face interaction for office hours, group meetings, or live class sessions, with chat features that allow active participation. Sessions can also be recorded for later access.
File sharing and storage make it easy to exchange and revisit course materials, project files, and media without storage limits.
Task management helps students stay organized through shared tasks, due dates, and reminders, supporting accountability within groups.
Accessibility, privacy, and viewing data ensure communication is FERPA‑compliant, accessible, and transparent, allowing instructors to see who has viewed messages and follow up when needed.

Together, these features make Pronto a powerful tool for fostering communication, collaboration, and instructor presence throughout a Canvas course.

Canvas Studio

Canvas Studio supports interaction in a course by making video an active, engaging space rather than a one‑way delivery of content. As an integrated media tool in Canvas, Studio allows faculty and students to create, share, and interact with video content in ways that promote dialogue, reflection, and meaningful feedback.

Faculty can use interactive video features to spark engagement by embedding quiz questions directly into videos and creating video‑based discussions where comments are tied to specific points in the video. This encourages students to respond to precise moments in the video, deepening understanding and keeping conversations focused. Instructors can also add annotations to videos, and when commenting is enabled, students can respond directly within the media, creating a shared learning experience. Watch this video on Canvas Studio to get step by step instructions on how to add a quiz or to annotate a video.

Canvas Studio also supports student‑to‑instructor interaction through video‑based assignments. Students can submit videos as assignments, and faculty can provide feedback, making comments more personal, specific, and actionable. Because Studio integrates seamlessly with Canvas, quiz results and graded interactions automatically sync with the gradebook, reducing administrative work.

Overall, Canvas Studio enhances interaction by combining instructor presence and student participation in an accessible platform helping courses feel more connected, engaging, and human.

WeVideo (Formerly PlayPosit)

WeVideo (formerly PlayPosit) is an interactive video learning tool that is fully integrated with MiraCosta College’s Canvas. WeVideo allows instructors to create activities using videos from Canvas Studio, 3C Media, YouTube, Vimeo, or other video sources. WeVideo now includes access for instructors to the WeVideo’s Multimedia tool to create instructional videos, podcasts or set up assignments for learners to demonstrate learning through media. Visit the WeVideo guide on the online education website for step-by-step instructions on using WeVideo in Canvas.

Intentional communication transforms an online course from a collection of materials into a learning community.

Pedagogical Superpower: Canvas Collaborations & Pronto

A comic-style illustration of Diego using Canvas and Pronto for virtual learning connections. — Interactive tools such as Collaborations and Pronto transform Diego's learning experience from a solitary endeavor into a connected unit.

Image Description

The image is a comic-style illustration divided into sections portraying a virtual learning scenario. The top section shows a man, identified as Diego, sitting at a desk with a computer displaying a document titled “MODULE 3: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS.” He appears focused, with a background featuring a desk lamp and a shaded room. On the right, another monitor displays the same document with a highlighted circle labeled “Pronto & Canvas Collaborations” connected by glowing lines to the computer. The center of the image states, “Pedagogical Superpower: Canvas Collaborations & Pronto” in bold text.

The lower section illustrates multiple virtual connections with circular portraits of various individuals, many outlined in different colors. These include a diverse group of people, visually depicted by a mix of genders and ethnicities, all engaged in discussions or giving a thumbs-up. The digital conversations are symbolized by linked nodes and a chat window displayed next to a woman in a hijab.

Alt-text:

A comic-style illustration of Diego using Canvas and Pronto for virtual learning connections.

Transcribed Text:

9:30 PM — Diego’s Virtual Support Squad MODULE 3: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS Pedagogical Superpower: Canvas Collaborations & Pronto Pronto & Canvas Collaborations Used to the camaraderie of the Marine Corps, Diego finds hands-off online classes agonizingly isolating. By activating interactive peer tools, the instructor transforms a solitary endeavor into a connected, disciplined unit.

Once you've read about the different communication and interaction tools in Canvas, head to the next page!