Create an attendance list to take attendance

Owned by CIT Webmaster
Last updated: 17 Jan 2023

To take attendance you can use the Attendance tool or manually create an attendance list.

Attendance tool

You can take attendance directly in Canvas using the Attendance tool.

The advantage of using this method is that you can view the students' photos.

In Attendance, you can:

  • filter down to your section,
  • choose the appropriate date,
  • mark students as present, absent, late or unmarked (excused).

See: Take roll call using Attendance

Clicking into Attendance automatically creates a corresponding Assignment (and Gradebook item).

  1. Do not delete or unpublish this Assignment.
  2. If you are not using Attendance for grades, check Do not count Attendance towards final grade and/or set the score for the Attendance Assignment as 0.
  3. Refer to How to use Roll Call Attendance?

Create attendance list

There is no direct way to create an class attendance list in Canvas.

  1. You can go to Grades in your course.
  2. Select your section from the Sections drop-down list on the top right.
    1. If you do not see the Sections drop-down list, click View > Filters > Sections. You should see the sections filter now.
    2. You can also filter out the Assignments since the scores need not be exported. Please choose any assignment, preferably one that has not been graded.
  3. Click Actions > Export Current Gradebook View.
    1. This will export a spreadsheet for the selected section, which you can modify (remove unnecessary columns, add the weeks) and save as your attendance sheet for the class.
  4. Repeat 1 to 3 for other sections.