Taking attendance and entering grades into Canvas not only provides a transparent grading process for students, it also provides academic advisors with the data they need to support student success. Data is mined from Canvas using Starfish, a retention solution software.

If you are not already using Canvas for grading and attendance, here is a quick guide to help you get started. Faculty who have never used Canvas can enroll in a self-paced online course to learn the basics.

Taking Attendance in Canvas

The WSU instance of Canvas includes an Attendance item in the left hand sidebar of your course. When clicked, an application called Roll Call will appear.

You will use this application to take roll via a list of students, or by using a custom seating chart. Once you have taken roll for the first time, an assignment will appear in your gradebook entitled, Roll Call Attendance. The settings in Roll Call and in the gradebook assignment can be modified. Visit the following online guides for more information.

Adding Assignments to Canvas

Canvas requires instructors to add assignments to their courses in order to use the gradebook feature. Each time you add an assignment, an new column is added to the gradebook. Assignment settings can be adjusted to allow students to submit online or in-person. A variety of other options are available to support your teaching strategies. Visit the following online guides for more information.

Using the Canvas Gradebook