Canvas provides multiple options for tracking student attendance, depending on your needs. Whether you prefer a manual check-in system or an automated attendance record based on student activity, Canvas offers built-in tools to support different instructional approaches. This guide focuses on two built-in options for tracking attendance in Canvas. Other methods, such as third-party tools, methods, and integrations, may also be available but are not covered here. Compare Attendance Tools In Canvas Feature Roll Call Attendance New Analytics - Online Attendance How it Works Instructors manually mark students present, late, or absent within the Attendance menu in a Canvas course. Tracks attendance automatically based on Instructor-defined activity criteria (e.g., course access, discussions, submissions). Attendance is taken within the New Analytics menu in Canvas, Pros Provides a structured attendance register. You can assign attendance as a grade in the Gradebook with an automatic grade book column. Supports a customizable seating chart for in-person courses. Allows instructors to adjust lateness values. Exports attendance reports to a .csv file at the course and account levels. Students cannot access the tool directly but can view their attendance score in Grades. Automates attendance tracking in Canvas without manual input. Customizable 'attendance' criteria set by the Instructor (e.g., page views, submissions, discussions) Provides insights into student engagement. Offers filtering options by student, section, and date. Useful for monitoring online participation. Cons Requires manual marking for each student. May not be ideal for online courses. Does not automatically assign attendance as a grade. Attendance is based on standard course access, which may not reflect varying views on 'actual' participation. Data updates every 24 hours, so recent activity may not be immediately reflected. Ideal for... Face-to-face or hybrid courses where instructors need direct attendance tracking and grading. Online or hybrid courses where engagement-based attendance is preferred. Attendance Resources Roll Call Attendance Use the following resources to learn more about using the Roll Call Attendance tool in Canvas. What is the Roll Call Attendance Tool in Canvas? How do I use the Roll Call Attendance tool in a course? How do I edit the Roll Call Attendance assignment? How do I create a roll call seating chart using the Attendance tool? How do I take roll call using the Attendance tool? How do I use Roll Call Attendance badges in a course? How do I run Roll Call Attendance reports in a course? New Analytics - Online Attendance Use the following resource to learn more about using the Online Attendance tool within the New Analytics menu in Canvas. How do I view the Online Attendance report in New Analytics?