Overview
This guide explains how to create a graded Harmonize discussion in your Canvas course. Begin with Creating Your Assignment to complete basic setup. Then proceed to either Configuring Your Discussion using the Wizard or Configuring Your Discussion Manually, depending on your preference. Most users and first-time users will likely prefer using the wizard.
Creating Your Assignment
Your first step in creating your Harmonize discussion is adding a new assignment in Canvas. Here's how to do it:
- Within your course, navigate to Assignments and click the + Assignment button. This will open the Create New Assignment Page in Canvas:
- Give the assignment a name and set the appropriate number of points:
- Scroll down the page until you see Submission Type. In this section, select External Tool from the drop down menu. Under "Enter or find an External Tool URL", click Find.
- In the Configure External Tool dialogue that appears, click Harmonize Assignment:
- In the Link Resource from External Tool dialogue that appears, click Discussion:
- The dialogue window will close automatically and return you to the Configure External Tool dialogue. IMPORTANT NOTE: Please do not alter or remove the URL that appears in this window. Click the Select button.
- This dialogue window will close automatically. Scroll down the page until you see Assign. Set a Due Date for your discussion. This date is the final due date when all student work is due. Click Save or Save & Publish at the bottom of the page:
Your graded Harmonize Discussion is now created and you will be redirected to the Harmonize Edit Topic page. If you need to revisit the Canvas assignment settings page, click the Edit Assignment Settings button located on the top right of the Canvas window.
Configuring Your Discussion using the Wizard
After creating your Harmonize discussion within your Learning Management System, you will be dropped into the Harmonize wizard, which will guide you through additional steps to set up your discussion. Alternatively, you may choose to Configure Your Discussion Manually.
Watch the video below or read the text instructions that follow. The video and text instructions are equivalent.
Requirements
- [1] Configure Manually button. If you'd prefer to use the old manual configuration process, you can click this button to do so.
- [2] Due Date section. This section displays the due date. If the due date is wrong, you can click How do I change the due date? for more help.
- [3] Milestones section. This section allows you to configure one milestone for posts and one milestone for comments, as this is the most common setup. Change the number of posts, days before due date, and number of comments to suit your needs. If you need different milestones, you will be able to edit these later (see Publish).
- [4] Automatic grading section. Turn auto-grading on or off.
- [5] Turnitin section. Turn plagiarism detection on or off. Note: this will only appear if your school has Turnitin.
- [6] Write Instructions button. Once you're happy with your settings, click Write Instructions.
Instructions
Now it's time to write your discussion instructions. If you already have instructions or would prefer to write your own instructions without help, just skip to the bottom and click on Write My Own Instructions.
- [1] Complexity Level adjuster. By default, discussion prompts are at complexity level 3, the applying knowledge level of Bloom's taxonomy. You can click Change to adjust this up or down.
- [2] AI prompt. In this area, you can type a question or topic and make suggestions to the AI. Have fun! Be creative!
- [3] Learning Objectives (Optional). If you have specific learning objectives for the discussion, enter them here.
- [4] Write My own Instructions. If you don't want AI assistance, click here.
- [5] Generate Instructions button. When you're ready, click Generate Instructions.
After clicking Generate Instructions, the AI will brainstorm a prompt based on your inputs. At the bottom of this prompt, you will see various options for reviewing, editing, or rejecting this prompt.
- [1] +Review and Edit This. If you like the discussion instructions, click +Review and Edit This to go to a screen where you can fine tune these instructions. Note: we always recommend carefully reading and editing the AI-generated discussions instructions.
- [2] Edit Initial Guidance. If you'd like to go back and change your instructions for the AI, this is where you click.
- [3] Generate Something Different. Clicking this button will prompt the AI to write a new discussion prompt using the same instructions and complexity level.
- [4] Suggest Improvements. Maybe you like the prompt overall but want to change something, such as removing group work or adding a short video reflection requirement. Just tell the AI what you want and click Send.
- [5] Write My Own Instructions. Choose this option if you'd rather write your own instructions.
Rubric & AI Coach
After you've completed your instructions, you can choose to Skip Rubrics & AI Coach or Set Up Rubrics & AI Coach.
If you select Setup Rubric & AI Coach, you will see a loading screen while the AI generates Focus Areas based on your instructions. You will then be able to review and edit your focus areas.
- [1] AI Student Coaching Toggle. Use this to turn AI Coaching on or off.
- [2] Regenerate Focus Areas. Clicking this button will generate new focus areas based on the same instructions.
- [3] Focus area title and description fields. Click inside the title or description field for any focus area to edit it.
- [4] Trash icons. Click on any trash icon to delete its associated focus area.
- [5] Not Coachable with AI. You might see one or more grading criteria marked Not Coachable with AI. You can click on What does not coachable mean? to learn more.
- [6] +Add Focus Area. Use this button to manually add a focus area.
- [7] Next button. When you're happy with all your focus areas, click Next.
If any of your focus areas are non-coachable, you will see the following message after clicking Next.
Choose to Return to Editing or to Generate Full Rubric. When you click Generate Full Rubric, you will be taken into the rubric editor.
- [1] Pencil icons. Click any pencil icon to edit the descriptions or points associate with that focus area.
- [2] Rotating arrows. Click on any rotating arrow icon to regenerate all the descriptions for a particular focus rea.
- [3] Update Focus Areas. This button regenerates descriptions for all the focus areas.
- [4] Save Rubric. When you're ready, click Save Rubric.
Publish
You're done! You may choose to Publish your discussion or to Configure Additional Settings. For help with configuring additional settings, see Configuring Your Discussion Manually.
Configuring Your Discussion Manually
To configure, your discussion manually, select Configure Manually.
The Harmonize Edit Topic page consists of four main tabs: Instructions, Post Settings, Milestone Due Dates & Auto-Grading, and Student Facilitators.
In this article we'll focus on the first three, but we will include links to help guides with more information on all four tabs.
Using Harmonize Brainstorm to Create Your Discussion Prompt
We’ve integrated ChatGPT into Harmonize and coupled it with sound pedagogy on what makes a good discussion prompt so you can write prompts more quickly and effectively. The instructional video at the top of this page touches on this feature and I've included an additional video below.
For even more information and step-by-step instructions, please see the following Harmonize Brainstorm help guide.
When using Harmonize Brainstorm, it's always a great idea to proofread the text and correct any mistakes you find. You are also free to add additional resources such videos or images to enrich your discussion prompt.
- Once your instructions are completed you are free to Save & Close the Harmonize Edit Topic page. You'll be able to publish the assignment in Canvas and your students will then be able to participate in your Harmonize discussion.
- However, if your Instructions require students to create multiple posts and comments, we highly recommend visiting the Milestones & Auto-Grading tab to set explicit participation requirements.
Setting Milestones (Multiple Due Dates) & Auto-Grading
Once your Instructions are written it's time to set your Milestone and participation Auto-Grading Settings. Please see the following links for more information on these features:
- Setting Milestones in Your Harmonize Discussion
- Setting Word Count Minimums for your Milestones
- Auto-Grading
Configure your Milestones following the instructions in the articles above. Once you're finished, click the Publish button on the lower right of the Harmonize Edit Topic page. You've now successfully created your Harmonize discussion!
When you're ready, publish the assignment in Canvas. Your students can now access and participate in the discussion.
Post Settings
The Post Settings tab is where you'll enable your Turnitin integration and set up visibility. Outlining instructions here would make for a very long help guide, so I've instead provided links to additional guides that help explain these features:
Student Facilitators
Student Facilitation is a powerful tool for increasing engagement within your discussions and promote deeper learning for your students. Learn more about it here: