Scheduled Messages

Delphinium adds several important and useful enhancements to Canvas' messaging and announcement features. It also adds "Banner Announcements" to Delphinium layouts. "Scheduled Messages" allows you to create one message, decide and schedule when that message is delivered, and have that message be sent to students and observers.

Scheduled messages are especially useful when you are developing a messaging strategy for your class. Messages sent through the Delphinium's Scheduled Messages will be saved and copied when you copy your Canvas course to another class, section, semester, or term.

Open Delphinium Settings

On the Delphinium page, in Teacher or Periscope View, click the Settings icon in the top right corner of the page

The "Settings" dialog will open.

Click the Message Center Tab

Click the Message Center tab in the tab bar at the top of the Settings dialog.

The “Message Center” tab will be displayed

Message List

Messages and some settings are displayed in the "Message List".

Click +Message to open the "New Message" window. Details about creating a new message can be found below.

Click the checkbox in the row for a message and then click Remove to delete a message. Deleting a message cannot be undone.

Click the icon in the "Enable" column for a message row to open the "Edit Message" window to change the "enabled" status.

Click the edit icon in the "Edit" column for a message row to open the "Edit Message" window. Details for editing a message can be found below.

Edit or Create a Message

Subject - Add a subject for your message. This will be displayed in the subject line for emails, announcements, banners, and the "Message List".

Step 1: Select an Option and Create a Message

Choose one of the following options:

Text-only Messages - This is a quick and simple message that contains only text (as opposed to messages that also contain formatting, images, variable text, etc.).
- Add the text for your message in the text box.
- Select whether to send the message as a Canvas message, Canvas announcement, and/or a Delphinium banner; one message can go to any of these
  - If you select a Canvas message, and your course uses observers, you can choose to include students' observers on the message, or you can choose to send the message ONLY to students' observers and not to students.
  - If you select Delphinium banner, you can choose to require that students acknowledge the banner message before they can continue to the course.
  - Canvas messages will be sent through the normal Canvas message center, Canvas announcements will be viewed through the normal Canvas announcements center.
  - Delphinium banners are included at the top of Delphinium layout pages.

Advanced Messages - Advanced messages are more complex to create, but they also offer advanced abilities, depending on the type of message.
- Select the check box for which types of messages you want to send.
- Type the message you want to send in the text box for each type of message you want to send.
- Canvas Message - You can add variable text to canvas messages, like the students' names, the course name, and a student's course stats.
- Canvas Announcement - You can add text formatting like font size and color, bold and italics, and lists to Canvas Announcements. You can also select options like enabling podcast feeds, including student replies in podcast feeds, and "liking".
- Delphinium banner - You can add variable text to Canvas banners, like the students' names, the course name, and a student's course stats. You can also add text formatting like font size and color, bold and italics, and lists. You can also select the color used to highlight the banner, including red, blue, green, and yellow.

Step 2: Select Posting Options and Send the Message

Note: With the exception of the "Post now" option, scheduled message will be sent at 12 a.m. on the configured date.

Scheduling - Select when you want to send your message

Post Now - Send the message as soon as you click the Send Message button.
Post on [Date] - Select a date you want to send the message out on
Post [x] Days After the Course Start - Input the number of days after the start date of the course to send the message. The start date for a course is configured in the "Delphinium Course Settings".
Post [x] Days Before the Course End - Input the number of days before the end date of the course to send the message. The end date for a course is configured in the "Delphinium Course Settings".

Post to Sections - In cross listed courses, select which sections will receive the message. Leave the default option unselect to send the message to all sections.

Enabled - If the toggle is set to On the message will be sent according to the schedule. If the toggle is set to Off the message will not be sent. It is sometimes useful to disable a message if you no longer need it now, but think you might want to use it again in the future.

Save Message - Click Save Message to save the settings for this message and return to the "Message List".