As a new university instructor, I spend a lot of time reflecting on processes and making adjustments to be a better educational partner to my students. At first, I focused on a glaring pain point for me this semester—missing assignments. The longer I stared at the grade sheet, I realized something: Where I was fixated on single assignments, I should have been focusing on trends and behaviors. Canvas was talking to me, but I wasn’t listening.
Track, communicate, intervene
We educators prioritize student success. We also understand the value of tracking trends in student behavior. Since I was naïve about the willingness of bright-eyed first-year students to submit assignments, I scrambled for tools to support them. I knew a reminder system would keep everyone on the same page. But what I discovered was that Canvas also offers intel on students needing greater support and encouragement.
“Message students who…” tool
While lamenting the increasing number of missing assignments, I stumbled across my favorite Canvas feature: “Message students who…” This tool allows instructors to look at submissions, assignment-by-assignment, and send a single reminder addressed to each student who has not completed a particular task. All you need to do is this:
- Go into Gradebook.
- Choose an assignment.
- Select the three vertical dots to the right of the assignment title.
- Choose the action “Message students who.”
- Compose your reminder and hit “Send.”
If you’re a visual learner, like me, the Canvas Instructor Guide provides illustrated directions for messaging students from Canvas Gradebook.
More than a missing assignment
Although assignments are a valuable gauge of student understanding, patterns and trends in work submission reveal so much more. If a high number of students fail to submit an assignment, I ask myself: Were my instructions clear? Was there enough front loading? Did I allow adequate time for questions about the material? Looking at individual students, I consider failure to submit two consecutive assignments worth a conversation—the sooner the better. Does the student not understand how to use Canvas? Might the student need to find a computer on campus? Is the student simply overwhelmed? If I ask these questions, I can intercede more quickly and offer targeted support.
Canvas helps instructors help students
We all know how to post assignments, provide feedback, and submit grades. But for those willing to listen, Canvas has a lot to say about our students. When we look beyond the assignment submissions and scores, and peer into the trends and behaviors, we can intervene sooner, offer support earlier, and be better partners to students on their learning journeys.
Kimberly Conner is a US1100 instructor and publications writer in the IT Marketing and Communications office.
