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Canvas Insights allows faculty to customize filters to quickly identify:

• student engagement in the Canvas course
• groups of students with high and low scores on assignments
• students who are missing assignments
• students who are doing well (or not) in your class

Once students have been identified based on the filters faculty choose, faculty can send out a personalized email through Canvas Insights to that group of students.

To send an early alert, first use the filters in Canvas Insights to identify students who would benefit from a little nudge in your course. These filters use the information (grades, missing assignments, late submission, and gradebook views) that you have already entered into the Canvas course.听 Data can determine who would benefit from an early alert (Bear et al., 2020).听 Using Canvas Insights allows you to scale up the alert to students in large classes or with multiple classes.

During week 2 of this spring semester, I used Canvas Insights to quickly identify two students from different courses who have not yet signed into the Canvas course.听 I used the 鈥淟ogged into Course鈥� Yes / No checked box to identify the students who had not checked into Canvas yet. Two students were identified out of 182 students overall. I clicked on 鈥渆mail this list鈥� and used the 鈥淚 am here to help鈥� email template to send a personalized message.听 I heard back from both students the same night as I was able to help them get started with the material in the Canvas course.

According to research, sending out timely alerts to students is a key component to intervention for retention (Bear et al., 2020; Jayaprakash et al., 2014). Here is a general idea for a timeline to send out early alerts:

Week 2 - have a simple assignment due early
Week 4 - more advanced assignment due
Week 6 - check in with students before midterms
Week 8 - midterm check in
Week 10 - not too late to still pass the class

In addition, send out an alert to students after major assignments are graded.

To get started, from one of your Canvas courses, select听Canvas Insights听in the听Navigation听menu to open the Canvas Insights dashboard.

1. Select one of your courses in the听Courses听pull down menu, and you鈥檒l see a list of the students enrolled in the course
2. Use the听Total Course Grade听two-way sliders to select low, middle-range or high-performing students
3. Use the听Sort by听pull-down menu to sort the results by student name, CSUN ID, email address, number or late or missed submissions, or Grade to Date
4. In the听Assignment Group听menu, choose听All Assignments听or narrow them down by听Assignment Group
5. In the听Assignment Name听menu, you can choose individual assignments within the听Assignment Group听you selected
6. Use the听Assignment Score听two-way sliders to select a range of scores in assignments graded
7. Use the听Late Online Submissions听and the听Missed Online Submissions听two-way sliders to select a range of late or missing submissions
8. The听Checked Syllabus听section lets you narrow the list to students who have or have not accessed the Canvas-generated syllabus
9. The听Checked Gradebook听section further refines the list based on students who have or have not accessed the gradebook
10. The听Logged into Course in past two weeks听section lets you narrow the list to students who have or have not logged into the course in last two weeks from the current date
11. Once you鈥檝e defined the list of students, select听Email this list

On the听Messaging听page, use the听鈥淪elect Message to Send鈥�听pull-down menu to choose听鈥淣eeds Assistance鈥�听or听鈥淧ositive Feedback鈥�听messaging and the听Subject Line听and听Message Text听boxes will autofill with a corresponding message. You can edit or replace the text in the听Message Text听box, and then select the听鈥淪end Email鈥�听button to send your personalized message individually to each student in the list.

This template offers students resources available 91传媒: links to CSUN with a Heart, technology help and student life.

Remember these templates are completely editable, you can change the introduction:

For Example:

鈥淚 hope this message finds you well. I noticed you have not signed into our Canvas course and you have not had the opportunity to attend any synchronous Zoom meetings. I wanted to reach out with some resources.鈥�

Your early alert has been sent.听 Keep in mind when sending out an 鈥淚 am here to help鈥� personalize message, students will respond, so be ready to help.

To learn more about Canvas Insights check out the instructional videos on the听听or you can attend a Using Canvas Insights for Early Alerts workshop.

To learn more on Early Alerts, check out the听.

By Joyce Marie Brusasco, EdD.

References.

Bear, L., Hagman, A., & Kil, D. (2020). Preventing a winter of disillusionment: Artificial intelligence and human intelligence in environment. Educause Review (1), 46-54.

Jayaprakash, S. M., Moody, E. W., Laur铆a, E. J. M., Regan, J. R., & Baron, J. D. (2014). Early Alert of Academically At-Risk Students: An Open-Source Analytics Initiative. Journal of Learning Analytics, 1(1), 6鈥�47. https://doi.org/10.18608/jla.2014.11.3

Villano, R., Harrison, S., Lynch, G., & Chen, G. (2018). Linking early alert systems and student retention: a survival analysis approach. Higher Education, 76(5), 903鈥�920. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-018-0249-y

You can self-enroll in the new听听and learn more about Canvas Insights. This course will cover a variety of topics on Canvas data, Canvas analytics, early alerts, and Canvas Insights.

Faculty can receive Canvas Insights support from the Faculty Technology Center (FTC) by contacting听ftc@csun.edu. Please check the听听or听request a presentation for your department or college.

For more information on Early Alerts, visit the听Faculty Development Early Alerts page.