view access by file or item, not user

[mcdowela]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

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I've searched on this topic repeatedly, so if it's been addressed, sorry. I would like to be able to run analytics on a specific file or assignment to see which students have accessed it. I know how to look at each student's record, but that's extremely cumbersome.  For example, I uploaded a PDF of model (anonymous) essays from the class and want to know how many students have looked at these before submitting their next essay. It would be helpful to run a report on that item.  I really dislike having to go student by student to see who has done what vs. being able to run a report on individual files or individual modules, etc.

Thanks, Andrea

General Comments

Comments from Instructure

Please refer to Canvas Release: New Course and User Analytics.

Note from the Community Team: We're including the link to https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/1221-see-which-students-have-viewed-a-particular-page-or-activ... here so we can keep these related ideas associated with one another.

[bquinlan]

This feature was available in Blackboard and I used it all the time. I used it in my on-campus classes when I posted extra resources to see if the students were accessing them (i.e. was it worth my time to create them). I used it in my online classes to see how students were pacing themselves in the course. I was completely shocked when we switched to Canvas and I discovered that this feature wasn't available. This has been requested multiple times in the year I have been using Canvas, and I am appalled that it still isn't in development. It is a basic feature that every LMS needs to have. It is unreasonable to expect faculty to click through one student at a time.

[mcdowela]

To Chris Ward or anyone on Canvas who's still reading these:

Please note that the "issues we're trying to solve" (as Chris asked above) is actually less relevant because this single feature (viewing access by item) would SOLVE these problems. From what I can tell, colleagues using other programs (such as Blackboard) have this feature and can't believe we don't.  This is a critical, functional, multifaceted assessment tool that faculty need to have. Being able to assess access by item to see whether students are doing the readings (or the myriad other reasons as others have posted above) should be long available by now. We're going into our third or fourth year using Canvas, I believe, and it's still not available?

For Canvas merely to "consider" adding a basic feature like this isn't acceptable. It needs to be prioritized above all the other bells and whistles and zingy flashy things one can do with Canvas if one somehow has scads of unused extra hours (I don't).

[woodsdm2]

I agree - having this feature would give me a way to get feedback on what parts of the Canvas content I provide is actually getting used.  As instructors we stress the need to for students to collect feedback on their work and use it to improve their work.  As faculty we should be doing the same with our courses, but it is hard to get feedback like use of course pages that can be used to review and improve our courses.

I appreciate the effort people have put into providing other ways of getting this info.  To me, this clearly indicates an unmet need in the base Canvas functionality.  I haven't tried the tools mentioned above - I may, if I can find time, but would really, really, prefer to get this info from within my Canvas course.

[cward]

I get your frustration, I really do. As a product manager, you're only given so many resources, and so many hours in the day, to make magic happen, and sometimes things take longer (a lot longer) to deliver than we'd like.

That said, I recognize the importance of this need, and the request--although not currently on the roadmap--is making its way through the backlog. I hope to have better news to share in the near future, but until then know this hasn't been forgotten.

[scollins]

To "archive" this discussion gives me the impression it has or will be forgotten for some time. What would it take to reorganize another vote on this feature?

[scottdennis]

Hi Sue,

This feature idea is archived, meaning that it has gone into storage.  That does not mean the discussion needs to halt or that it will be forgotten.  Once it made it up over 100 votes, it entered into a status where it will be periodically reconsidered along with other related ideas when our product team periodically meets to set priorities for each new work sprint.  We will not have another vote on the idea because it already made it to that next stage where it will stay in the running indefinitely.  I thought you might possibly want to check out How does the voting process work for feature ideas?​

[Renee_Carney]

  Idea is currently in Product Radar Learn more about this stage...

[30639324]

Yes this is a feature that many instructors in our institution would love to have as well! https://community.canvaslms.com/groups/harvard?sr=search&searchId=fc82ea1c-84a4-4957-a242-2525ce780d...

[Renee_Carney]

The Radar idea stage has been removed from the Feature Idea Process.  You can read more about why in the blog post Adaptation: Feature Idea Process Changes.

This change will only impact the stage sort of this idea and will not change how it is voted on or how it is considered during prioritization activities.  This change will streamline the list of ideas 'open for voting', making it easier for you to see the true top voted ideas in one sort, here.

[timothy_maw]

I'm hoping this gains more traction. I have had instructors asking about this very thing lately. This has been an idea for over two years now too and we really could use it.