Quick Tip: Student View
Canvas has a helpful tool to allow instructors to see exactly what their students see in the course. The Student View can be used to:
- Confirm visibility of published and unpublished content
- Verify quiz and test dates
- Proofread content with a different lens
- Experience the assignment submission process
- View grades from the student’s perspective
To view a page as a student, click on the Student View button in the upper right-hand corner of your course and a brightly colored border will appear around your Canvas window. As long as this border is present, you are in Student View and will see the student’s perspective.
While in Student View, Canvas creates a Test Student where you can view and interact with course content and assessments as a demo student in the course. This can give you a sense of the online learning environment you have created in your course. Rest assured, submitted assignments, test scores, and attempts while in Student View will not be included in course analytics. Also, confidential information will not be viewable when in Student View. You will only see what you allow your students to see.
There are only two administrative options when in student mode, Reset Student and Leave Student View. Those options are found along the bottom border of the Student View window.
Reset Student will remove the Test Student’s submitted assignments and test or quiz results. It will not, however, remove replies to discussions with other students. Be sure you have left Student View before interacting with students.
To leave Student View, simply click the Leave Student View button and you will return to the instructor’s perspective.
Important notes to consider when using Student View:
- After activating Student View in a course, the Test Student will be added to your gradebook and SpeedGrader. You can choose whether or not to input grades for the Test Student, and again, any Test Student grades will not be included in the course analytics.
- Do not use Student View to preview New Quizzes. New Quizzes have a unique preview tool that should be used when building the New Quiz. See instructions for building and previewing New Quizzes.