Welcome to the Instructor Help Guide. This is a one-stop shop for all your questions. Use the lefthand menu to navigate to a specific topic or scroll down the page to browse available resources.
Alternatively, use the self-paced, interactive demo below.
Create a Discussion
Create a graded discussion
Ready to get started? Try one of our step-by-step guides to building a discussion.
- Create a Discussion: Blackboard
- Create a Discussion: Brightspace
- Create a Discussion: Canvas
- Create a Discussion: Moodle
Create a non-graded discussion
Hoping to provide optional opportunities for engagement? Non-graded discussions create a space for engagement without mandating it.
Engage Students with Social Reading, Peer Review, and More
Facilitate Peer Review
Invite rich, human-to-human learning with Peer Review.
- Create a Peer Review Assignment
- Peer Review FAQ
- Grade a Peer Review Assignment
- Peer Review Grading FAQ
- Peer Review: Student Guide
Take Student Engagement Further
Looking to add more and richer student interaction? Check out our other tools:
Make Learning Accessible for All Students
Learn about our newest accessibility features:
- AI Accessibility at Harmonize
- View and Use Transcripts, Closed Captions, and Audio Descriptions
- Edit Transcripts, Closed Captions, and Audio Descriptions
- Add Alt Text and Media Captions
- Create a Harmonize Page
Learn about Specific Discussion Features
Basic features
Learn to use some of the basic discussion settings, such as word count minimums and time limits for recordings.
- Set assignment dates
- Configure Multiple Due Dates/Milestones
- Add milestone word count minimums
- Change time limits for student recordings
- Designate Student Facilitators
Groups, anonymity, and posting before seeing replies
Harmonize offers a variety of ways to control who sees discussions and how.
- Allow anonymous posting
- Require students to post before seeing replies
- Use Groups (Canvas)
- Use Sections (Canvas)
- Use Groups or Group Sets (Blackboard)
Build Content and Navigate Discussions
Navigate a discussion
Learn how to change views and find what you're looking for.
- Familiarize yourself with the Harmonize layout
- Change between grid and list view
- Filter posts by group
- Search and Sort Posts
Create content (posts, comments, instructions)
Formatting text? Uploading images, videos, or files? Recording media or sharing your screen? We have you covered.
- Add and format text
- Upload images, videos, or files
- Record video
- Record audio
- Share and record my screen
Take content creation to the next level
Ready to do more? Draw on images and annotate screenshots. Respond to videos with timestamped comments. Add polls, equations, or code snippets.
- Draw on images or annotate screenshots
- Respond to videos with timestamped comments and drawings
- Annotate documents
- Add equations
- Add a poll
- Deleting Posts or Disable Reactions
Grade or Monitor a Discussion
Grading basics
Learn about manual grading and auto-grading, as well as comment submission.
- Grade a discussion (Blackboard, Brightspace, Moodle)
- Grade a discussion (Canvas)
- Use auto-grading
- Submit comments to the gradebook
- Leave private comments
Do more with grading
Looking for an easy way to give students targeted feedback? Want to use AI to generate a rubric. Worried about plagiarism? Explore our advanced grading features.
- Generate a rubric with AI help
- Detect plagiarism or AI use by students
- Use a rubric (Blackboard)
- Add an existing rubric to my discussion (Canvas)
- View Harmonize auto-grading & Canvas SpeedGrader FAQs (Canvas)
Monitor a discussion
Use engagement insights, update notification settings, view activity, or view version history.
- Use Engagement Insights
- Update notification settings
- View discussion activity
- View post version history
Save time with AI, auto-grading, and more
Save time with AI
Our AI integration can help you generate rubrics or brainstorm instructions. Use the time you save to do what matters most: interacting with your students.
- Generate a rubric draft with AI
- Brainstorm instructions with AI
- Empower students to check their work with AI coaching
Save time with Auto-grading
Save time grading with auto-grading or with the Canvas SpeedGrader integration. Use Q&A forums to avoid answering the same question twenty times.
Still Need Help?
Change my profile and course settings
Update your profile, change your preferred name, update notifications, or enable/disable chat.
- How do I access and edit my profile?
- How do I change my preferred name?
- How do I update my notification settings?
- How do I disable chat?
Webinars
Want to learn more about a specific topic? Check out Teaching Tips center or watch subject-specific webinars.
- Review Teaching Tips on specific features, such as PDF annotation or deterring ChatGPT use.
- Watch a subject-specific webinar on a topic like math, languages, or visual arts.
Still have questions?
- How do I enable or disable Harmonize in the course navigation menu?
- Can I use Harmonize to track attendance?
- Can I download all my students’ files at once?
- How can I set up video introductions? (Canvas)
- Can I copy my discussions to a new course? (Canvas)
Submit a support request
Contact our helpful support team.