InterPro - Teaching & Learning - Tools & Technology - Canvas Discussions vs. Piazza
Canvas Discussions and Piazza are two discussion tools that can be integrated with Canvas. This document compares the features and functions of both so EPD instructors and instructional designers can choose which tool best fits their course's needs.
Canvas Discussions vs. Piazza
Comparison
| Function/Feature | Canvas Discussions | Piazza |
|---|---|---|
| Students can create their own posts | Yes, but only if instructor allows students to create discussions. | Yes |
| Students can post anonymously | No | Yes, and regardless of settings, students will always be able to post anonymously to classmates. |
| Instructors can post anonymously (handy for having bait posts to get the students started) | No | No, but there's a workaround: create a second account with a different email address (enroll as a "student" in the course). |
| Students and instructors can edit and delete posts | Yes, students can edit and delete their own posts if settings are configured. Instructors can edit or delete any post. | Yes, students and instructors can edit any post. Only instructors can delete any question or post. |
| Threaded discussions with multiple replies | Yes | Yes |
| Group-based discussions | Yes | Yes |
| Posts are searchable | Yes | Yes |
| Posts can be organized into folders/themes | No, discussions are only organized by topic names. | Yes, folders act like tags. |
| Instructors can pin discussions/posts | Yes, this becomes pinned on the entire class's feed. | Yes, this becomes pinned on the entire class's feed. |
| Save posts as favorites | No | Yes, this only becomes a favorite on your individual feed. |
| Can mark posts as duplicate | No | Yes, can merge questions or link using @mentions. |
| Reference other posts or replies with @mentions | No | Yes |
| @mention instructors | No | Yes |
| Students able to create polls | No | Yes |
| Students can create an online profile with their photo | Yes, Canvas profile. | Yes, typically created using wisc.edu email. |
| Integrated with Canvas | Yes | Yes, but need to add to navigation. |
| Automatically connected to Canvas's Gradebook | Yes | No, but manual assignment creation and grade entry are fairly straightforward. |
| Add specific discussion forum to Canvas's Modules page | Yes | No |
| Can access "Student View" without creating another account | Yes | No |
| Instructor can endorse student and/or TA answers | No | Yes |
| Can mark posts/followups as "good question/response", "thanks", "helpful", or "resolved"/"unresolved" | No, only option for quick response is to "like" a post. | Yes, both instructors and students can do this. |
| Teachers can track the number of views and see other analytics | No, Canvas Analytics is limited compared to Piazza's analytics. | Yes |
| Students and teachers can see the number of other people online at the same time | No | Yes, can't tell who they are, but you know that others are online. |
| Average response time visible to students and instructors | No | Yes |
| Instructors can tell who has signed up to the boards and who has not | No, assumes that everyone on the Canvas course is using Discussions. | Yes, can also keep sending reminders to students who have not signed up, or tell the students who email you to sign up. |
| Restricted to enrolled students only | Yes | Yes, if you turn on and use an access code. Roster should also be reviewed periodically. |
| Save draft posts | No | Yes |
| Type code blocks directly into text editor | No | Yes |
| LaTex editor | Yes | Yes |
| File and multimedia attachments | Yes | Yes |
| Students can receive email notifications | Yes | Yes |
| Students can subscribe/follow specific discussions | Yes | Yes |
| Instructor can bypass user notification settings for sending out key information via discussions | No, there's a workaround, but it's time consuming. | Yes |
| Available in a mobile app | Yes | Yes |
| Site is intuitive to use and navigate | Yes | Yes |
Information was compiled from the University of Sydney and UW-Madison's CEETE.