Get a Canvas Attendance update, meet a new product manager, and share your feedback

[carlycurran]

Hello, I’m excited to introduce myself to all of you! I’m the new product manager for Canvas data and analytics. 

First, a confession 

I used to read through this community forum to learn more about what instructors like and don’t like about software. I was working on a courseware product at the time, and this community is a goldmine of insight. Fast forward a few years, and here I am, still astounded by how engaged y’all are. What a dream come true for a product manager. 

A little bit about my role with Canvas data and analytics

Let me quickly clarify what my team’s areas of responsibility are, related to data and analytics in Canvas. Currently, we are largely focused on two primary functions:

• Maintaining Canvas Data 
• Building out New Analytics 

While I am absolutely interested in hearing about your experiences with and needs related to other data tools and products at Instructure (Canvas Data 2, for instance), I will mostly be helpful to you there as a conduit of information.   

A little bit about me

• I’m a Texan. (Did you catch the y’all above!?) I was born and raised in Austin, and I’ve lived in Houston for about 12 years. I love this big, diverse, sweaty city, no matter how underrated it is. 
• I love to cycle, and this year I rode in my 9th MS 150. 
• I’m a Tar Heel, and yes, I’m gone to Carolina in my mind. 

What’s happening in New Analytics 

Currently, we are testing an attendance reporting tool with a small group of customers. Our plan is to release this widely in August, as long as performance looks good with our beta group. 

Canvas Attendance will show up at the course level as a new tab in New Analytics.

• Administrators will select Attendance Criteria (from various participations, like a student posts to a discussion or joins a Big Blue Button conference), and if a student meets any of the criteria in a given day, that student will be marked attended. 
• Teachers will be able to view this report by day or by week, and they’ll be able to filter by section or student. 

Preview of Canvas Attendance

More to come on this soon! 

A story and a request

For years, I worked as a freelance writer. The idea was that I didn’t have to deal with those pesky parts of projects: getting buy-in from various groups, having a bunch of meetings where a decision never got made, arguing about budgets—you get the picture. 

There was something simple about turning in a deliverable and walking away. But, there was also something fundamentally unsatisfying about it for me. 

I didn’t put my finger on what exactly was unsatisfying until I joined a marketing department for a product launch and then joined that product team. Working with smart people to solve problems was a thrill!! So thrilling in fact, that it made those administrative nuisances tolerable. And the realization that bringing my team’s collective brain to bear on a problem ALWAYS led to a better solution got me hooked. 

I love working with teams. And you, this community, are an important part of our team. You help us in so many ways, especially in sharing your ideas and feedback. Many of you have already generously shared your time and ideas with me. Thank you! Please keep it coming. 

If you have thoughts on analytics in Canvas, I would love to hear from you in the comments and especially in this survey.