Canvas: Create Seating Chart and Take Attendance

Canvas has a built-in Roll Call Attendance tool that allows you to create a seating chart and take attendance.

Video Overview of Using the Canvas Attendance Tool

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I remove the Roll Call attendance assignment from the gradebook?
• I don't want the Roll Call assignment factored into students' final grades; how do I edit the Roll Call settings? 
• My students are getting email notifications when I take attendance; how do I set the grade column posting policy to manual to prevent these notifications? 
• I don't see the attendance link in my course; how do I enable the attendance tool? 
• How do I take attendance? 
• How do I create a seating chart? 
• How do I request help with the Canvas Attendance Tool? 

Enable the Attendance Tool

1. If the Attendance tool is not visible on your course menu, follow the steps below to enable this tool in your course. 
   1. On your course menu, click Settings. 
   2. Click the Navigation tab. 
   3. Click the three dots to the right of Attendance and select Enable. 
   4. Click Save at the bottom of the page. 
   5. You should now see the Attendance tool on your course menu. 

Remove the Roll Call Attendance Assignment from the Gradebook

**Important -- once you remove the assignment from the grade book, you cannot add it back again**

1. Go to Assignments
2. Click on the Roll Call Attendance Assignment
3. Click Edit Assignment Settings
4. Display Grade as: Not Graded

Create a Seating Chart in the Attendance Tool

1. Important - For consistency of seating charts:
   1. Create the seating chart with the perspective of the teacher being at the bottom of the chart. Place the students seated closest to the instructor at the bottom of the seating chart, and place the students seated furthest from the instructor at the top of the seating chart.
   2. Leave a space between students on the seating chart grid to indicate 3 feet of space between students.
   3. Place the students on the seating chart grid as closely as you can to their actual placement in the classroom to show proximity to others. You won't be able to indicate an angled desk or minute differences, but you will be able to show where students sit in the classroom and their proximity to other students.
2. Follow these directions to create a seating chart. 
   1. You will drag and drop the names of in-person students onto the seating chart. 
3. If your course has multiple sections, select the section from the drop-down menu on the top left, under "Roll Call."
   
   
    
4. You can edit the seating chart by clicking "Edit" in the top right of the Class View screen. 
   
   

Edit the Roll Call Attendance Assignment

1. Once you take attendance using Roll Call, Canvas automatically adds Attendance as an assignment.

   1. To avoid Attendance calculation errors, never delete, rename, or unpublish the Attendance assignment.

   2. Note: Although students cannot view the actual attendance tool, they may view their attendance report by clicking on the Attendance assignment on the Assignments page. This assignment cannot be hidden from students.

2. Go to Assignments on your course menu and verify that the Attendance tool is in the correct Assignment group and has the appropriate weight assigned.
   1. You may move the Attendance assignment to it's own Assignment group. Please keep in mind that students will access their attendance report by clicking on the Attendance assignment. 
3. Adjust the Roll Call Attendance assignment settings as needed. The default point value for attendance is 100 points. You can change this point value by editing the Attendance assignment settings.
   1. Directions to edit the Roll Call Assignment settings