In Short

Discussions are a forum where students can interact with each other by responding to the prompts you establish. Canvas's Discussions feature is an effective way to extend classroom discussions, whether it’s a pre- or post-class discussion.

A discussion can be graded, ungraded, or peer-reviewed.
Discussions can be limited to a subset of students via group discussions.
Students can be required to reply to the discussion prompt before they see the other student's answers.

Helpful tip: Consider the following alternatives to Canvas' Discussions.

Ed Discussion: A Q&A tool that supports equations, runnable code, and more.

Step-by-step

Go to Discussions in the Course Navigation Menu.
Enter a discussion title.
Add the discussion prompt or instructions using the Rich Content Editor.
Post the discussion to all sections or specific sections (e.g. precepts).
Attach a file by clicking the Browse button.
Check the box next to Graded to add the discussion to the gradebook.
Check the Group Discussion box to create a small group discussion.
Set the Available From and Until dates.
Click the Save & Publish button to post the discussion.

Video Tutorial

Additional Resources

Canvas Discussion Redesign
What are Discussions?
How do I edit a discussion in a course?
How do I delete a discussion in a course?
How do I reply to a discussion as an instructor?
How do I pin a discussion in a course?
How do I create a group discussion in a course?