Student Outreach in Canvas

Effective outreach helps students stay on track, feel supported, and succeed in your course. This guide explains how to use the Canvas Gradebook to identify students who may need encouragement, feedback, or additional support. You’ll learn three approaches—messaging by grade range, messaging individually, or a hybrid method—so you can efficiently communicate with students while personalizing your outreach for those who need it most.

Keep Your Gradebook Current

Before sending any outreach messages, ensure your Canvas Gradebook is accurate and complete.

This means:

All assignments are graded or entered as zero if missing.
Late or resubmitted work is recorded correctly.
Total grades reflect the most recent scores.

Why this matters: Accurate Gradebook data ensures your outreach is meaningful and targeted. Messaging students based on outdated or incomplete grades can lead to confusion or missed opportunities for support.

Option 1: Message Students by Grade Range

This method allows you to send personalized messages to students who are above or below a certain grade threshold.

Steps:

Go to your Canvas Gradebook.
Click the Total Grade column header.
Choose Message Students Who…
From the dropdown, select one of the following:
1. Have a total grade higher than → enter 70 (for kudos)
2. Have a total grade lower than → enter 70 (for support)
Update your Subject Line to include the outreach week (e.g., Week 2 – How Can I Help?).
Write a personalized message (avoid “Hey Class,” since it sends individually)

Option 2: Message Students Individually

This option is great for more detailed, personalized outreach.

Steps:

From the Gradebook, click a student’s name.
Select Message to open a Canvas Inbox message.
Add specific feedback, mention missing assignments, or offer encouragement.
Include the week number in your subject line (e.g., Week 4 – You’re Doing Great!).

Option 3: Hybrid Approach (Grade Ranges + Individual Messages)

Use this method when most students can be addressed through grade-range messages, but a few require more detailed, individualized communication.

Steps:

Start with Grade Range Messaging
- Follow the steps from Option 1 to send messages to groups of students based on performance (e.g., above/below 70%).
Identify Students Who Need Individual Outreach
After sending group messages, review the Gradebook to spot students who may need more personalized communication, such as:
- Students with multiple missing assignments
- Students with a sharp change in performance
- Students who haven’t logged in recently
- Students who are close to a grade boundary (e.g., 69%, 79%, 89%)
- Students with unique circumstances
Send Individual Messages
- Click on the student’s name in the Gradebook.
- Select Message.
- Address specific issues, provide tailored support, or offer encouragement.
- Include the week number in the subject line (e.g., Week 6 – Let’s Get Back on Track).

Recommendation

While all three options are valid, Option 3: Hybrid Approach is recommended. It allows you to efficiently message larger groups while still providing individualized support to students who need it most, ensuring no student falls through the cracks.

TIP💡: Before messaging any student, review their Gradebook details—missing work, late submissions, and recent scores—so your outreach is personalized and actionable.