TABLE OF CONTENTS

About the Observer Role

  • An Observer is the name that describes the users in a course who can view the content and follow a particular student's progress. They can not interact with or participate in the course's content or materials.
     
  • As an Observer, a family member (or coach, guidance counselor, mentor, etc.) has the ability to learn a lot about a student's day.

Creating a Parent Observer Account


Pairing a Parent account with a Student

After creating an account, there is a two-step process to pair a parent observer with a student.  


Step 1:  Generate a pairing code for an observer as a student. 

 

 



Step 2:  Link the student to Observer account with the Pairing Code from Step 1.





Enter the student's Pairing code into the area specified on the sign-up form




Once everything is completed, click  Start Participating  and you should be presented with the Canvas dashboard of the student being observed.

Adding Multiple Students to Observe

  • It's simple and convenient to follow multiple students under a single Observer account.

  • The best place to link additional children is through the browser. Have the students' pairing codes ready from Step 1 above.  
  • After signing in, click Account, then Settings, then Observing. From there, you'll see a +Student button. That's where you'll type in your student's pairing code.  Once you enter the code, you'll see all of your students listed under the "observing" list.

Managing Multiple Students

  • Observer course cards now include the name of the student being observed in that class. Canvas Deploy Notes 2020-04-11

  • The Canvas Parent app has a simple interface that allows Observers to easily switch between students. If an Observer wishes to have a quick overview of student progress or the week's assignments, the mobile app is good for keeping track of multiple students' academics.


Canvas Parent App

  • There is a role-specific Canvas mobile app available for Observers called Canvas Parent. It's free to download from the Apple Store and on Google Play.  Canvas Parent is a way to simplify the Observer experience as it provides at-a-glance digests of each student's school day and custom notifications or assignment reminders on a student-by-student basis.
  • Please note that the Canvas Parent app does not have the same functionality as Canvas web-interface. 

What can you expect with the Parent app?

Canvas Parent Mobile Features vs Canvas Web



  • To toggle between students, click the name displayed in the top-center of the screen. A short drop-down menu will appear, which will include a list of the students linked to your observer account. (How do I use the Canvas Parent app?‌)




Canvas Observer Support