Multiple Due Dates in Canvas Discussions: Discussion Checkpoints

Learn more about Discussion Checkpoints: a new feature in Canvas which allows you to set multiple due dates on your discussions.

What are Discussion Checkpoints?

Canvas has updated Discussions to allow multiple due dates for your Canvas Discussions. Discussion Checkpoints allow you to set a due date for the initial post, and a separate due date for the responses. Additionally, on discussions with checkpoints, the initial post and responses are graded separately.

Discussion Checkpoints are only available for graded discussions. (You can still use Discussion Checkpoints on discussions you do not intend to score. Mark the discussion as graded, but worth 0 points.)

Discussion Checkpoints will be available at St. Thomas on June 2, 2025.

Changes in SpeedGrader

All Discussions

Even if you aren’t using Discussion Checkpoints, your SpeedGrader experience will be slightly different.

You can now toggle between student posts using next and previous reply buttons when viewing the replies in the full discussion context.

You can toggle between viewing a single student's individual posts or viewing the full discussion in context. That choice is available in SpeedGrader, above the list of replies.

Discussions with Checkpoints

When grading Discussions with Checkpoints, you will score the Reply to Topic (initial reply) separately from the Required Replies (replies to other students). Canvas will automatically tally those two scores in the Current Total field.

Rubrics

Rubrics do not currently auto-populate grades for Discussions with Checkpoints. You will need to manually enter points for the checkpoints in addition to scoring the students on the rubric.

How to Set Up Discussion Checkpoints

When creating a new graded Discussion, or editing an existing Discussion, choose these settings to set up checkpoints:

1. Check “Graded” to enable grading. When you check “Graded”, a new check box appears.
2. Check Assign graded checkpoints.
3. In Checkpoint Settings:
   1. Set the number of points possible in Reply to Topic (this is the student’s initial post)
   2. Set the number of Additional Replies Required (this is the student's response to their classmates’ posts)
   3. Set the number of points possible for the Additional Replies.
   4. Set the due dates and times for the required replies.
4. Set a rubric if you’d like to use it. Please note: Rubrics do not currently auto-populate grades for checkpoints. You will need to manually enter points for the checkpoints in addition to scoring the students on the rubric.

In this example, students will get up to 5 points for their initial reply to the topic, and five additional points for their responses to peers’ posts. They are required to post two additional replies to peers.

In this example, students are expected to reply to the discussion Topic (initial post) a few days before they respond to one another.

 

Note: Other discussion settings are addressed in the Instructor guide: How do I create a graded discussion?

Student View of Discussions with Checkpoints

From the Modules, students see three lines of information for each Discussion with Checkpoints. They see the discussion itself (where they click to participate), along with two entries to show the due dates and number of Required Replies.

From the Discussions tab in Canvas, students see the two due dates and the number of required replies.

On the discussion itself, students see "view due dates" above the title. 

When students click on “view Due Dates”, a sidebar opens on the right of the screen which shows the due dates and the number of Replies Required:

Students also see two dates on their Canvas Calendar. Clicking on or hovering over the date shows whether the due date reflects the Reply to Topic or Required Replies.

Faculty View of Discussions with Checkpoints

In Modules, the faculty view of Discussions with Checkpoints is different from the Student View. Students see three entries for each Discussion (see above). Faculty see the two dates and number of Required Replies directly under the title of the Discussion.

The view from the Discussions tab is very similar for faculty. Faculty see the two due dates and the number of required replies in a single row.

Need Help?

Canvas Help is available 24/7 if you have questions about Discussion Checkpoints or the new SpeedGrader experience. You can find their contact information by clicking on the Help icon in the Global Navigation menu (purple menu) when logged into Canvas.