canvas-discussion-facilitator
starsforks
How to install canvas-discussion-facilitator?
vishalsachdev/canvas-mcp/canvas-discussion-facilitator
$npx -y skills add vishalsachdev/canvas-mcp --skill canvas-discussion-facilitatorDiscussion forum facilitator for Canvas LMS. Helps students and educators browse, read, reply to, and create discussion posts. Trigger phrases include "discussion posts", "reply to students", "check discussions", "forum participation", "post a discussion", or any discussion-relat
SKILL.md
| 1 | # Canvas Discussion Facilitator |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Facilitate discussion forum activity in Canvas LMS -- browse topics, read posts, reply to students, create new discussions, and monitor participation. Works for both students and educators. |
| 4 | |
| 5 | ## Prerequisites |
| 6 | |
| 7 | - **Canvas MCP server** must be running and connected to the agent's MCP client. |
| 8 | - The authenticated user can have **any Canvas role** (student, TA, or instructor). Tool access is governed by Canvas API permissions. |
| 9 | - **FERPA compliance** (educators): Set `ENABLE_DATA_ANONYMIZATION=true` in the Canvas MCP server environment to anonymize student names in output. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | ## Steps |
| 12 | |
| 13 | ### 1. Identify the Course |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Ask the user which course to work with. Accept a course code, Canvas ID, or ask them to pick from a list. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | If the user does not specify, use `list_courses` to show active courses and prompt: |
| 18 | |
| 19 | > Which course should I look at discussions for? |
| 20 | |
| 21 | ### 2. Browse Discussion Topics |
| 22 | |
| 23 | Call the MCP tool `list_discussion_topics` with the course identifier to retrieve all discussion forums. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | **Parameters:** |
| 26 | - `course_identifier` -- course code or Canvas ID |
| 27 | - `include_announcements` -- set to `false` (default) to see only discussions, or `true` to include announcements |
| 28 | |
| 29 | **Data to surface per topic:** |
| 30 | - Topic ID and title |
| 31 | - Author name |
| 32 | - Posted date |
| 33 | - Number of entries (if available) |
| 34 | - Whether the topic is pinned or locked |
| 35 | |
| 36 | Present the list so the user can pick a topic to drill into. |
| 37 | |
| 38 | ### 3. View Posts in a Discussion |
| 39 | |
| 40 | Once the user selects a topic, call `list_discussion_entries` to retrieve posts. |
| 41 | |
| 42 | **Parameters:** |
| 43 | - `course_identifier` -- course code or Canvas ID |
| 44 | - `topic_id` -- the selected discussion topic ID |
| 45 | - `include_full_content` -- set to `true` to see complete post bodies |
| 46 | - `include_replies` -- set to `true` to see threaded replies |
| 47 | |
| 48 | **Data to surface per entry:** |
| 49 | - Author name |
| 50 | - Posted date |
| 51 | - Message content (or preview) |
| 52 | - Number of replies |
| 53 | - Entry ID (needed for replying) |
| 54 | |
| 55 | ### 4. Read a Specific Post in Full |
| 56 | |
| 57 | If a post is truncated or the user wants the complete text, call `get_discussion_entry_details`. |
| 58 | |
| 59 | **Parameters:** |
| 60 | - `course_identifier` -- course code or Canvas ID |
| 61 | - `topic_id` -- the discussion topic ID |
| 62 | - `entry_id` -- the specific entry ID |
| 63 | - `include_replies` -- set to `true` to also fetch all replies to this entry |
| 64 | |
| 65 | Present the full post content along with any replies, timestamps, and author information. |
| 66 | |
| 67 | ### 5. Reply to a Post |
| 68 | |
| 69 | When the user wants to respond to a specific post, call `reply_to_discussion_entry`. |
| 70 | |
| 71 | **Parameters:** |
| 72 | - `course_identifier` -- course code or Canvas ID |
| 73 | - `topic_id` -- the discussion topic ID |
| 74 | - `entry_id` -- the entry being replied to |
| 75 | - `message` -- the reply content (HTML is supported) |
| 76 | |
| 77 | **Before sending, always:** |
| 78 | 1. Show the draft reply to the user for confirmation |
| 79 | 2. Reference the original post so the user can verify context |
| 80 | 3. Only send after explicit approval |
| 81 | |
| 82 | ### 6. Post a New Top-Level Entry |
| 83 | |
| 84 | When the user wants to add a new post to an existing discussion (not a reply), call `post_discussion_entry`. |
| 85 | |
| 86 | **Parameters:** |
| 87 | - `course_identifier` -- course code or Canvas ID |
| 88 | - `topic_id` -- the discussion topic ID |
| 89 | - `message` -- the post content (HTML is supported) |
| 90 | |
| 91 | Show the draft to the user and confirm before posting. |
| 92 | |
| 93 | ### 7. Create a New Discussion Topic |
| 94 | |
| 95 | When the user needs an entirely new discussion forum, call `create_discussion_topic`. |
| 96 | |
| 97 | **Parameters:** |
| 98 | - `course_identifier` -- course code or Canvas ID |
| 99 | - `title` -- the discussion title |
| 100 | - `message` -- the opening post / prompt for the discussion |
| 101 | - `delayed_post_at` -- (optional) ISO 8601 datetime to schedule the discussion to appear later |
| 102 | - `lock_at` -- (optional) ISO 8601 datetime to automatically lock the discussion |
| 103 | - `require_initial_post` -- set to `true` if students must post before seeing classmates' responses |
| 104 | - `pinned` -- set to `true` to pin the topic to the top of the discussion list |
| 105 | |
| 106 | Confirm the title, content, and any scheduling options with the user before creating. |
| 107 | |
| 108 | ## Educator Use Cases |
| 109 | |
| 110 | ### Monitor Participation |
| 111 | |
| 112 | 1. Call `list_discussion_topics` to get all discussion forums in the course. |
| 113 | 2. For each topic, call `list_discussion_entries` to retrieve all posts. |
| 114 | 3. Cross-reference posters against the class roster (use `list_users` or `list_submissions` to get enrolled students). |
| 115 | 4. Identify students who have not posted in any active discussion. |
| 116 | |
| 117 | Present participation as a summary: |
| 118 | |
| 119 | ``` |
| 120 | ## Discussion Participation: [Course Name] |
| 121 | |
| 122 | ### Topic: "Week 5 Reading Response" (due Mar 3) |
| 123 | - **Posted:** 28 / 32 students (88%) |
| 124 | - **Not posted:** Student_a1b2c3d, Student_e4f5g6h, Student_i7j8k9l, Student_m0n1o2p |
| 125 | |
| 126 | ### Topic: "Case Study Analysis" (due M |
People who liked this also viewed
6 picksType
- find-skillsHelps users discover and install agent skills when they ask questions like "how do I do X", "find a skill for X", "is there a skill that can...", or express interest in extending capabilities. This skSkillsJul 2026
- grill-meA relentless interview to sharpen a plan or design.SkillsJul 2026
- vercel-react-best-practicesVercel's official collection of agent skillsSkillsJul 2026
- improve-codebase-architectureScan a codebase for deepening opportunities, present them as a visual HTML report, then grill through whichever one you pick.SkillsJul 2026
- setup-matt-pocock-skillsConfigure this repo for the engineering skills — set up its issue tracker, triage label vocabulary, and domain doc layout. Run once before first use of the other engineering skills.SkillsJul 2026
- triageMove issues and external PRs through a state machine of triage roles — categorise, verify, grill if needed, and write agent-ready briefs.SkillsJul 2026
