Last name, first name as separate cells

[lkiesling]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

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I've just used my exported gradebook to determine the grade distribution for a 150-student class. To determine the distribution I sorted the data in order from highest to lowest final score, and then went back to alphabetize the data so I could submit the grades ... only to realize that the student names are (first name last name) in the same cell. This means I have to alphabetize *manually*.

This is terrible database design. Why isn't the last name in as a separate cell to enable automatic alphabetizing? Is there a workaround in the short run? Not that it will help me today as I enter my grades, but ... And the ability in Canvas to search on a student name is a poor substitute for sensible database design.

[Renee_Carney]

The Radar idea stage has been removed from the Feature Idea Process.  You can read more about why in the blog post Adaptation: Feature Idea Process Changes.

This change will only impact the stage sort of this idea and will not change how it is voted on or how it is considered during prioritization activities.  This change will streamline the list of ideas 'open for voting', making it easier for you to see the true top voted ideas in one sort, here.

[usypher]

Yes, absolutely, we need this. I exported the student quiz statistics to (manually!) regrade a quiz question (because you can't do this automatically when you use pools, see my post on that). And the exported file (Excel) is also sorted by first_last in the same cell. I guess it's the same issue of "exporting," but it's ridiculous that Canvas itself cannot even sort the same way in its exports vs. it's  gradebook. Such a hassle in a large class!

[wilsonco]

I need to be able to sort by first name.  Whether it's in a new cell or not, I don't care.... BUT!  I cannot tell if there are 2 John's in the class.  I like to know upfront if there are any duplicates.  The only way is to copy everything out and try to recreate lists and sort that way.  Unaccaptable. 

[jbuchner]

You can do that in excel, but not in Canvas. Find Duplicates in Excel - Easy Excel Tutorial 

[wilsonco]

Yes - sorry I mean to update for others.  I ended up doing that as well.  Thanks!

[marianna_pinter]

This vote is for having the first and last names in separate column. . . .In canvas shell I am using I can put 1st name 1st, but it still lists alphabetically by the last name.

[marianna_pinter]

This is exactly why it is a big issue. I have had the unpleasant task to separate first and last names of 150+ student manually thanks to canvas.  

[marianna_pinter]

That's an interesting view. I have never been bothered by features I don't use. I consider that different fields require different options. Also faculties have different ways to teach requiring different features. If I don't use a feature, it canbe still there for others to use. But lacking this basic feature made me put in an extra hour this semester; which is pretty bad. . . I think if faculties could choose the LMS they use, then your approach would make perfect sense; but this is unfortunately not the case.  

[rjtaylor]

I'm staggered that this isn't a default option. It's ridiculous that when you export the Grades list you can only sort by first name, but if you sort the list in Canvas it sorts by surname. 

I turned on the feature "Gradebook - list students by sortable name", but nothing changed. What should be different when I go to Grades?

[marianna_pinter]

The great majority of the user requests here in the community site falls in the it-should-have-been-there-by-default category; still, canvas does not follow up to fix these issues. It seems to me that canvas is on its own trajectory, and users' concern cannot reach that.. . .4 years were not enough to fix this particular developer mistake.