[Inbox] Add rich-content editor to Conversations

[seth]

As a user, I would like to be able to use the rich-content editor to compose messages in the Conversations inbox. This would enable me to create Conversations that are on par, formatting- and content-wise, with Announcements. (Students seem to read Conversations messages more diligently than Announcements.)

transferred from the old Community

Originally posted by: Mia Nolan

Special thanks for contributions by: Stefanie Sanders

[AdlaiGonzalez]

Yes, I totally love this suggestion. I'm new to Canvas, and I'm so far loving it because it just far superior to my previous system: BlackBoard. However, when I was writing an email to a classmate, I realized it's just plain text, and it is kind of frustrating to not have at least a basic editor. I hope they take attention to it, so we can just add one more reason to love Canvas!

[VHDL2STA]

Yes, as I have written in several posts, the Canvas Conversations (email) environment is very weak.

And new Canvas users who are STEM teachers will very quickly realize that the Canvas Math Editor is also very weak. To "correct" this Math Editor weakness Canvas has enhanced the Basic Canvas Math Editor and called this enhancement  "Advanced Math Editor". Unfortunately this Advanced Math Editor requires that users write LaTex code. Our typical Math and Statistics students should not have to learn the complexities of LaTex syntax and semantics. Instead students should create Math and Statistics symbols using icons from pull-down menus as excellently done in Microsoft Office and Blackboard. I have written several posts regarding the weaknesses of the Canvas Math Editor.

[LaurenHundley]

Please bring this to life, Canvas!  It makes no sense that it exists elsewhere on the platform --announcements, discussions, assignments, etc -- but not in direct messaging, and would be extremely helpful.

[aeagle]

Lack of a rich content editor is causing massive accessibility issues with messages sent through Canvas. One of the biggest is that we aren't able to correctly format a link, so any student using an assistive device to scan content will have links read to them incorrectly. Additionally, without the ability to bold or italicize text, the only emphasis option we have is to write words in all caps, which also goes against accessibility guidelines. 

[triburgl]

Problem statement:

It has been frustrating and inefficient to message students using Canvas Inbox without rich content editing. I keep thinking this feature will surely appear, but it's been 7 years of waiting so here's my request. I would like to be able to include hyperlinks, bullet points, text editing (like bold, italics, underline), and embedded content. If embedded content is not a possibility for data size reasons, some basic text editing would go a long way. I rely on inbox for all of my communication with students and basic text editing seems a minimal request.

Proposed solution:

Add rich content editing to Canvas Inbox. This is important because hyperlinks are the best way to share important resources with students (as opposed to students having to copy and paste links I share which they are less likely to do). Basic text editing is also important to make communication clear and to bring attention to important points. Embedding content would make my inbox conversations with students more meaningful and help keep students within Canvas, rather than navigating away from Canvas Inbox.

User role(s):

instructor

[kikimax]

@triburgl  et all,

As I mentioned twice in this forum, it looks like there is no longer ANY intent at Instructure to offer us, the users, what we need (if there ever was one.) On all of this entire 11 full web pages with hundreds of cries for help, there is absolutely NO formal answer and communication from the LMS project leadership, from the dev team, or from anyone. They simply DO NOT CARE (or so it clearly seems), as long they've got their contract going and their monies coming in. It is an absolute disgrace for an organization who is claiming their product, "Canvas LMS is a robust (!!) digital foundation for all aspects of higher-ed learning." to be so completely deaf to their end users, their customers' requests, not to mention misleading about what they have to offer and sell. What a shame!! 

P.S. I personally have been complaining about this particular missing feature for more than four (4!!!!) years now, all without ANY response, interest, or show of progress. I wonder how they actually received the so-called testimonials displayed on their website (or if they're even real!)... 

So, SO disappointing! 

[FOREMANSHANNON]

I reached out to my school's online teaching department to see what can be done to draw attention to adding the rich text editor. This was the response:

"This is a fantastic idea! How Canvas implements updates is to take a look through the Community and select the top liked (or talked about) suggestions. These are brought to a statewide committee to test before deployment. 

I can request that our rep escalate the idea, if possible, but the best way to enact change is to blast this out on social media and in the Canvas Community as an accessibility issue and like/participate in the discussion threads (and encourage others to do so consistently). I realize that this convo has been happening since 2015, which is frustrating. Canvas will only put it on the development list with consistent and vocal support."

It's aggravating that we have to essentially beg to have this added, but it looks like tweeting at them might be another avenue. 

[bettyandmaxsboy]

This has b been open for more than 7 years, yet it still hasn't happened. What's the holdup?

Dennis M. Briggs 

[erica_wagner]

It's 2022, and I still don't see that this much requested feature has been added to canvas. I want to add my voice to the request here. Many students use this feature to message me, and it would be great to have it work like the other text editors on the canvas system.

[VHDL2STA]

Yes it is very puzzling why the Canvas mail utility does not have Rich Content Editor capability. 

I have posted many comments regarding this weakness.

And many times I have written that if the Canvas Calendar can use the Rich Content Editor then why is it that the Canvas mail utility does not have this capability.

As an aside there are many wonderful productivity and course applications to using the Rich Content Editor in the Canvas Calendar.