Canvas Student iOS Text Entry Pop Up Covers the Assignment Description

[MelissaPiette]

When providing students with an Assignment with a Text Entry Response in the Canvas iOS App, the response text box covers the assignment description.  This is not only an inconvenience, it's an access issue for many students needing to visualize the prompts/description to complete their thinking.  We like to keep our students inside the Canvas iOS app as they are elementary students.  Any thoughts on how to workaround without going to a browser? 

  

[natariastx · Accepted solution]

Hey Melissa! This is such an important topic to bring up! While I don't have an actual Canvas solution, I wanted to share two things. 

1. I highly recommend you keep a lookout for when the option to submit Canvas Enhancements is back up so you can share this bit of feedback. I will see if there is anyway to share with product teams here internally, but can't make any promises!
2. When I previously worked in a 1:1 iPad school, we asked our elementary students to use the Notes app to create their drafts side-by-side with the LMS using split view on the iPad. While I know this does not keep them entirely in the Canvas App, they could learn to draft their response in the notes of their iPad using split screen so they can see the assignment instructions, and then copy and paste that response into the assignment once it is ready to submit. 
   • A couple of reasons this workaround was useful and could help:
     • Teaches kids a basic feature of the iPad that they can use in a multitude of ways in the future
     • Saves a draft of their work in case anything ever gets lost or they forget to submit that the teacher can help them get back to in the future

I am so sorry I don't have a direct solution for you, but I hope this helps in some way! Happy to keep chatting through some solutions with you if needed. I'm a huge iPad lover for instructional technology!

[MelissaPiette]

Thanks, thats a great work around and would definitely work for a variety of learners.  We are K-5 iPad so some of our younger learners would need some additional guidance and time to learn that workflow (and they could do it).  Ideally though, it would be so nice if the iOS app had a rich content editor and the user could see the prompt.  Thinking ease of access, usability, accessibility for students using assistive technology such as VoiceOver screen reading etc. I will definitely keep my eye open for a Canvas Enhancement submission option.  Thanks for connecting!! 

[natariastx]

Hi Melissa ! I am so glad you found it helpful. I can 100% understand where you are coming from. Also, I found out that users can still submit Feature Ideas even while the process is undergoing updates. I think you should submit your idea with the context! Here is the link to submit: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Ideas/idb-p/canvas-ideas