Participant Idea Exchange (PIE): Engagement & Attendance by

Using cliff hangers

lnlittleford — 2026-09-17 04:12:13 UTC

I ended my class with a cliff hanger (e.g., Told them about a study or asked a thought-provoking question and let them know I'd share the results or the answer in the next class). It worked! Students came to class the next time and asked me for the answers. I was surprised that they were still thinking about our class several days later.

Canvas Feedback Survey

2026-10-06 10:15:30 UTC

I am a content specialist for a course with more than 30 sections. After seeing varying levels of student engagement over the years, my fellow content specialist and I decided it would be valuable to create a mechanism for all students to share their learning experiences directly with us throughout the semester. To make this possible, we added a link to an anonymous Qualtrics survey on all of our module pages in Canvas. We launched the survey this semester (Fall 2026). After just over a month, we already have more than 115 responses. Students have shared what they enjoy about the course, identified issues that need attention, and offered suggestions for improving the course moving forward. It has been incredibly valuable to hear directly from our students and their feedback has already informed numerous changes we plan to make for the Spring semester. I’ve attached a photo of the prompt we use in Canvas in case it’s helpful!

A Simple Message

2026-10-07 13:17:28 UTC

This couldn't be a more simple idea, but I find it's most effective for my online courses. If a student doesn't submit an assignment, doesn't attend/participate for a week, or falls behind in engagement in any other way, I use Canvas tools to send them messages directly. Sometimes, I use the "Course Analytics" tool to identify students who are not participating or engaging, and send encouraging messages not "warning them" about participation, but seeking to make sure they are OK, if they need additional support from me, or any clarification on expectations. Sometimes, I use the "Message Students Who..." feature in the gradebook to do the same for students who miss an assignment. Sometimes, I just message them individually. Again, it's straightforward, simple, but probably the most effective tool I use to connect with students who have stopped engaging! Not only does it help me re-connect with students who are disengaging, it also helps me get to know them and understand what barriers they are experiencing to succeeding in the class.