Faculty members are experiencing session timeouts in Canvas without any prior warning, which results in the loss of unsaved work. This issue disrupts workflow, especially during content creation or grading activities, and can lead to frustration when work has to be redone.
To improve the user experience and prevent loss of work, we recommend two potential solutions:
- Extend the Session Timeout Duration: Increase the default session length to allow faculty more time to complete tasks without the need for frequent authentication.
- Implement a Session Timeout Warning with Extension Option: Ideally, Canvas should notify users a few minutes before the session expires (e.g., "Your session will expire in X minutes"). This notification should include the option to extend the session, similar to what many other online platforms offer. Additionally, when a session does expire, a clear alert should inform the user that they have been logged out to prevent confusion or further loss of work. This feature would greatly enhance the usability of Canvas for faculty and help safeguard against unintended data loss during important academic activities.
