Before we discuss Canvas tools, here is a good summary of best practices: Best Practices for Large-Enrollment Online Courses, Part 2: Managing groups, peer review, and other peer-to-peer interactions, by Arizona State University.

Organize Class into Groups

Groups are a subset of a course with their own Canvas site, including their own Files, Calendar, Discussions, Announcements, and Collaboration tools. Only students added to a group have permission to see and use these tools within the group.

- Instructor Guide: Groups
- Instructor Guide: How do I view content and student activity within a group?
- Student Guide: How do I view my Canvas groups as a student? and video guide: Groups Overview (Students)
- Student Guide: How do I start a collaboration in a group?

Organize Group Discussions

A group discussion creates an identical discussion topic in each group category. When students reply to the discussion topic they do so within their group environment.

- Instructor Guide: Discussions
- Instructor Guide: How do I create a group discussion?

Organize Group Assignments

- Instructor Guide: How do I assign an assignment to a course group?
- Instructor Guide: How do I grade group assignments in SpeedGrader?

Organize Peer Review Assignments

Organize Peer Review Discussions

What is a peer review discussion?
- A peer review feature in a discussion enables students to review other students' discussion posts.
- Student reviewers can view only their own peer reviews.
- Can be group and entire class discussion
- Discussion must be graded
- Peer review cannot be anonymous
- Group discussion can be peer reviewed only by group members.

Office365 in Canvas

Instructor Guide: Using Office365 in Canvas