student view in app shows pages/discussions/quizzes even though they are hidden in the course.

[efalconer]

Even though our college has set up templates in Modules format students see items that are hidden in the course setup.  Is there a way to align the mobile view so that students see the modules format, rather than all the confusing navigational tabs that we have specifically reduced in our course designs? 

[Steven_S]

In course settings go to the navigation tab.  Click and drag all tabs you do not want students to see below the divide in the middle of the list. (Some tabs are displayed to instructors only, and yet do not show the crossed out eye in the tabs list.  You can identify those tabs by comparing your view to student view.  If YOU use those tabs that disappear in student view leave those in the top half of the list.)  Once you have all tabs set up in the order you want them to appear in, click save at the bottom of the page.  Then go back to the home page and look at student view again.

[rseilham]

@efalconer, 

Unfortunately, there is no way to display the module view (or selected homepage)  instead of the list of menu items as the default view for a course on a smartphone. Even though you still see the menu on a tablet, the extra screen room on the right side will show the default homepage, but there is no option like this on a smartphone. 

[Steven_S]

@rseilhamIf students can access navigational tabs that we have removed from navigation by simply using a smartphone, that is a serious security issue.  Instructors who have hidden files (for example) feel secure in uploading everything, including exam answer keys, into the files section.  If we are using pages to present information to students, and they have access to pages we have elected not to include in a module, or that are located in a module that is currently locked, they will be confused or have earlier access to content than the rest of the class.  Those items we have hidden should not be accessible on a smartphone, or any other device.

[rseilham · Accepted solution]

@Steven_S,

The Canvas Student app (iOS and Android) should only show menu options that are not hidden by the instructor. 

When I hide every item in a course, this is what the student sees:

If your students are seeing something else, I would suggest you work with your local tech support to report this to Canvas Support. 

[Steven_S]

@rseilham   I was only concerned because I understood this question to be about how to hide unnecessary tabs, and then you replied that it was not possible to hide tabs from a smartphone.  Thank you for clarifying.

[rseilham]

@Steven_S - 

Ah, I get the confusion now. I was originally referring to the first screen when accessing a course in the app. You will always see the course menu items (tabs) and can't switch that to be the default homepage. You can adjust what menu items (tabs) are seen, but the list of menu items is the standard. Thanks!

[efalconer]

Thanks for your help, everyone. I actually was able to enroll a "fake" student (instead of looking at student view) and the items we wanted hidden remained hidden.  YAY!