[Sections] Add Students to Sections with Checklist

[candice_mcphers]

Our teachers regularly use Sections to differentiate due dates and pacing for different groups of students. Adding students to a section is more cumbersome than in other LMSs we've used. Our teachers love Canvas, but this is a consistent request/complaint. We would like the ability to add students to a section using a checklist/selection list of users for the course.  If a teacher could click on an existing section and see a list of enrolled users not already in that section to select, that would make section management easier.

Example: 30 senior level students are graduating early in the fourth quarter. It would be great if a teacher could create an Early Seniors section, choose those thirty people from a list to add, and then assign the section to items needed with their diversified dates. 

Existing methods have teachers adding these individuals from the people page using at least three or more separate clicks for each person added OR require complicated enrollment using the student ID--which requires students to accept the "invitation" to see the section and also results in more potential for user error.

[Ron_Bowman]

@candice_mcphers 

I agree a better way to add students to sections would be nice - especially if you did not have to rely on them to accept an invitation to join the section.  Having a list of students with boxes next to their name to select them and then add to the section would be good.  

Not sure if you do it this way, but the following is the method I use to bulk add students to create a section.   I export the gradebook and then copy the ID from that column and paste the list into the add people area and add the students.  Your teachers could delete all students not needed for the section and then copy the list of remaining ids.  It is easier for me(than for you I assume) when I create sections because I am using it to create lab section entries in my course that contains all students and each lab section has its own canvas course - so I do not have to pick and choose.  I just get the Id for all the students in the lab section and add them to the add people area and add the students - I still require that they accept the invitation, but so far I have not had any issues.

[candice_mcphers]

@Ron_Bowman Thank you for your support and the explanation of the method you use! I am glad that we at least have that method. Some of our teachers have used this method who feel comfortable with spreadsheets and data prep, but they do sometimes have trouble with students ignoring or not accepting the invitation.  Other teachers get nervous about doing the spreadsheet set up and feel safer adding students one at a time. Thankfully we have managed to get our SIS to enroll students in two basic sections for pacing, but when we have our special situations like the early seniors or even our IEP/504 sections that requires a more manual process.