RaiderCanvas Support

Using a Plus+ Attendance with RaiderCanvas

aPlus+ Attendance Training Video

aPlus+ Attendance is integrated with RaiderCanvas and Raider Success Hub (RSH), enabling a student's success team to access real-time attendance data in RSH and conduct outreach to students with patterns of missed or late attendance. Because of this integration, we recommend using this tool over Canvas Rollcall. The other two options (i.e., Roll Call and Tophat) do not synch with Raider Sucess Hub.

Understanding the Menu

The aPlus+ Attendance Menu includes several options for instructors to track and monitor student attendance and participation. The menu is located at the top of the attendance tool. The main views for attendance collection are the Students and Sessions views (highlighted yellow). For more information, refer to Navigating the Attendance LTI.

Options Include:

• Students: An overview of student attendance in a given timetable. This list can be downloaded using the download icon in the upper-right hand corner of the tool.
• Sessions: A calendar overview of sessions or meeting times that can be manually configured to meet the needs of the class. Instructors can add their meeting times and set the attendance recording options.
• Tools: Advanced options including attendance recalculation, session adding, and timetable deletion.
• Reports: Data reporting for previously attended sessions. The data can be filtered using the “attendance summary” options at the top of the screen and can be downloaded as a CSV file.
  Import: Import attendance from other classes or import manually created CSV files. Instruction for how manually created files should be formatted are available in the aPlus+ Attendance Instructor Guide.
• Codes: See the secret code that attendees must enter in order to receive credit for attending a session. Code entry can be set in the “sessions” tab.
• Attendance Setup: Return to the initial aPlus attendance screen and choose your global attendance settings including the option to record attendance in the gradebook.
• Canvas Sync: Re-initiate the sync between aPlus+ Attendance and Canvas.

Basic Overview

There are several Methods of Recording Attendance. Please refer to the Manual Entry by Status section for information about recording or editing existing attendance.

Manual Entry for Smaller Classes

1. Select the session (date). The Fill blanks option allows you to set all attendance at once. For example, if the class was fully present except for one student then you could begin by marking everyone to Attended and adjusting just the single student who was absent.
2. Adjust attendance for an individual student.
3. Add any notes that may be relevant for a student’s attendance status.
4. Save.

Displaying Codes for Larger Classes

1. Select Codes
2. Select desired code entry as the Entry Method
3. Select static or rolling code OR QR code
4. Select how you would like to control the time window (the allotted time in which students are allowed to use the code, which can be set in minutes)

How do I make a change to my class schedule, or move a single session?

Your class sessions are automatically populated from Banner, the Student Information System (SIS). If you would like to make a change to a session, refer to Editing imported timetables or schedules for instructions.

This will involve a process known as “Detaching,” which means that once you make a change to the session, it will no longer be synced with the automated feed of session information from the SIS. This can be undone. (Refer to the section Reattaching sessions.)

How can I add a session that is not in my calendar already?

The Timetable Wizard allows you to create a single session or repeating sessions.

I see a blue screen that tells me that my course does not have dates. How do I get past this?

This indicates that your course in Canvas doesn’t have either a start or end date set, or the Term it's assigned to doesn’t have a start or end date. Please reach out to your internal support to get this resolved.

How do I add points for attendance?

1. Go to Attendance Setup
2. Click Record Attendance as Assignment Grades
3. Choose Calculations (see explanation of options below)

This table is adapted from https://support.wharton.upenn.edu/help/aplus-setup-instructors. 

Can I add a note about why a student was absent?

To add a comment about student absences, go to the individual student on the selected day and click on the comment box to the right of the student’s name. 

How do I handle an excused absence? 

When a student is excused in a Plus+ attendance system integrated with Canvas, the following typically occurs: 

• The student's attendance is marked as excused, which does not affect their grade calculation.
• The student's attendance points are not deducted, even if they are considered unexcused.

How do I take attendance in an online course? 

Dr. Cori Tice (Biology) suggests the following strategy: Once you create a session in A+ Attendance and go to codes, you can create a specific time window for the code (for example, my modules are usually open for one week - so here this code will be active for 7 days). From there, this code can be embedded into a pre-recorded powerpoint, or some other assignment, that students are supposed to access during that week for 'participation'.

This appears to only work for the 'static code' option under entry methods.

Can a TA handle attendance?

Graduate students with the “Teaching Assistant” role in a course will be granted access to aPlus+ Attendance. This allows them to access and manage attendance data, including viewing student attendance records and potentially modifying them if necessary. 

Are there accessibility concerns for aPlus+Attendance? 

aPlus+ Attendance is not completely accessible for low-vision students due to the way that the numeric code or QR code is displayed. If you use a code, we recommend reading the numbers aloud during class. 

Recommended Syllabus Statement for Face-to-Face Classes

Attendance and participation are important to help you learn the course material and connect with me and your peers. In this course, we will use aPlus+ Attendance to track attendance. This is integrated with RaiderCanvas. You are responsible for checking your attendance weekly in Grades in your RaiderCanvas course to make sure that your participation has been counted. Requests for changes must be made in writing to the instructor or TA within the week after the class and before the next class.

Recommended Syllabus Statement for Online Classes

While an online course does not require physical attendance, active engagement and participation is necessary to successfully meet the learning outcomes. In this course, we will use aPlus+ Attendance to track attendance. This is integrated with RaiderCanvas. You are responsible for checking your attendance weekly in Grades in your RaiderCanvas course to make sure that your participation has been counted. You will see a column in the gradebook titled, “Attendance.” Requests for changes must be made in writing to the instructor or TA within the week of the missed attendance check-in.

Resources: 

The configuration guide from aPlus+ attendance is an excellent tool: Configuration Guide.pdf

Recorded training session led by Leslie DeBusk (TTU Online): aPlus+ Attendance Training Video

For questions about Raider Success Hub, please contact Jeremy Norman. 

Questions? Contact us at raidercanvas.support@ttu.edu or 806-742-5933.