Catch student questions in a Canvas discussion digest
Keep new questions visible in a concise digest so you can decide what needs an answer.
Trigger
New Canvas Discussion Message
Polls Canvas discussion topics for new messages.
Action
Run Terminal Command
Run a command in the terminal and returns the stdout, stderr, and error code. use /home/user folder to write/read files.
Why this helps
Questions can be scattered across discussion messages, making it difficult to know which ones still need attention.
- Bring apparent questions together for a quick review.
- Make recurring questions easier to notice.
- Reduce repeated scanning when planning discussion follow-up.
Setup
Build it in a few focused steps.
- 1Connect Canvas and Codeinterpreter once in the Notis portal.
- 2Create an automation and describe how to identify and summarize questions.
- 3Pick New Canvas Discussion Message as the trigger.
- 4Choose where Notis should send run reports.
- 5Test the automation with one real discussion message.
Questions about this workflow
Can it tell whether a question has already been answered?
Only if the relevant conversation history is available to the automation. Provide any needed context or treat the digest as a list for manual review.
Will it answer students automatically?
No. This action runs a command and returns a digest; it does not post responses.
Can I limit it to certain kinds of questions?
Yes. Describe the criteria in the automation prompt, and review results to ensure the criteria work as intended.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Supported Triggers and Actions
Notis builds workflows that link Canvas to Codeinterpreter. A trigger fires from one place; an action lands in another.
Canvas triggers
Codeinterpreter actions
Recurring trigger
Notis starts this workflow on a schedule, such as daily, weekly, or during business hours.
Create Sandbox
Create a sandbox to execute python code in a jupyter notebook cell. this is useful for agents to communicate, execute code, see output, read files, write files, etc. it's like you own personal computer, but in the cloud. use /home/user folder to write/read files.
Webhook trigger
Notis starts this workflow when an external tool or custom backend sends an HTTP request.
Execute Code
Execute python code in a sandbox and return any result, stdout, stderr, and error. use /home/user folder to write/read files. try to not use plt.show() as the code is executed remotely. use files for image/chart output instead.
Canvas Assignment Graded
Polls Canvas for newly graded submissions for a specific assignment.
Get File
Get a file from the sandbox and returns the file. the files should be read from /home/user folder.
New Canvas Assignment Submission
Polls Canvas for new submissions to a specific assignment.
Run Terminal Command
Run a command in the terminal and returns the stdout, stderr, and error code. use /home/user folder to write/read files.
New Canvas Discussion Message
Polls Canvas discussion topics for new messages.
Upload File
Upload a file to the sandbox environment. the files should be uploaded to the /home/user folder.
New Canvas Discussion Topic
Polls a Canvas course for new discussion topics.
New Course Created for User
Polls Canvas for newly created courses for a specific user.
New Canvas File Upload
Polls a Canvas course for new file uploads.
Connect any two apps with Notis in the middle.
Canvas and Codeinterpreter, or any other combination from 1,000+ integrations.
When this happens · Trigger
Do this · Action
Save your first hour today.
7-day trial of any paid plan, with 20$ of usage included.
No card. Works with personal or business Codeinterpreter.