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Canvas@Illinois, Use Discussion Checkpoints in Canvas
Important Note: This feature is expected to be enabled in Canvas@Illinois on Wednesday, July 16, 2025.
Discussion Checkpoints can be used to define two due dates of activities commonly used in online discussions. For example, many courses require an initial post as well as a number of replies with separate due dates. Checkpoints will allow you to add two due dates to the discussion board.
If you're interested in using Discussion Checkpoints, please note the following:
- Checkpoints can only be used on graded discussions.
- If your gradebook has missing or late policies enabled, checkpoints may complicate your grading. Be sure to test how grades may be impacted!
Instructions
These instructions will focus only on the aspects related to Checkpoints but be sure to edit any other settings (such as the Topic Title, Topic Content, etc.) when you're editing the discussion board.
- In edit mode of a discussion topic, enable the Graded checkbox (in the Options section).
- Enable the Assign graded checkpoints checkbox.
- Scroll down to the Checkpoints Settings section and update the following settings:
- Points Possible: Reply to Topic (this will be the points possible for the "initial post")
- Additional Replies Required (this refers to the minimum number of reply posts; allows up to 10)
- Points Possible: Additional Replies (this will be the total number of points possible for any reply posts)
- Confirm the Total Points Possible is equal to the total points possible you want for the assignment (this is an automatic sum of the points possible fields)
- Under Assignment Settings, enter due dates and times for Reply to Topic Due Date (initial post) and Required Replies Due Date (reply posts).
- Once all edits to the discussion topic are done, select either the Save or Save and Publish buttons.
How do students see checkpoint due dates?
From Modules
Once a discussion with checkpoints is saved in the course, students will see the two due dates in a couple of places. If the discussion topic is added to the Modules page, students will see 3 items related to the discussion (similar to how peer review assignments display in modules):
- Link to Discussion: The first item is what typically displays for any discussion (with a dialog/chat icon, a link to the discussion topic, and total points)
- Reply to Topic: This item is not clickable but will display the due date for the reply to topic/initial post. It is automatically slightly indented with an arrow indicating that it's related to the discussion above.
- Required Replies (#): This item is not clickable but will display the due date for any required replies. In the example screenshot, 2 replies are required so a "2" appears in parenthesis. Below it, you'll see the due date for these required replies and it is also indented with an arrow to show it's related to the discussion above.
From Discussion Page
When looking at the actual discussion page, students will see a link to View Due Dates. Selecting the link will open a tray on the right side of the screen that displays the due dates and required number of reply posts.
From To Do List
When students access your course site, the right side of the home page will always display a To Do list (a list of upcoming assignments). Below is an example of what students will see for a discussion with checkpoints (with separate links and due dates for the reply to topic/initial post and required replies).
Additional resources:
The following links are from the Instructure Community (provided by the company that makes Canvas):