91¿´Æ¬

By Christine Hood, OTL Instructional Designer

Updated January 2026Ìý

91¿´Æ¬â€™s requirement thatÌýcritical course materialsÌýbe hosted onÌýCanvasÌýbrings with it an exciting opportunity to decrease stress for both you and your students. The use of Canvas helps facilitate increased access to materials for all students, but also is particularly helpful in combatting the effects of unplanned absences.Ìý

While students may seek permission for planned absences from your course for major life events or religious holidays, how you navigate student absences pertaining to your course content is unique to you and your students, your expertise, and your pedagogical approach. In some extenuating circumstances, some students may qualify for formal student accommodations from the (DSP)ÌýPlease ensure that students needing accommodation contact DSP first.

Here are some options for getting absent students caught up with course content.Ìý

Share Accessible Recordings with All Students

You could record the whole class, or just the lecture portion; it’sÌýup to you! Giving all students access is helpful whetherÌýtheyÌýare absent or not.ÌýÌý

Instructors noted that students who attended every course (synchronously or in-person) are still accessing the recorded lecture materialsÌý The benefits of recorded lectures include the ability for students to engage with recordings for clarification and assessement preparations as well asÌýadditionalÌýnote-taking. What’s more, with the ability to add closed-captions or create a transcript, recording lectures also makes the content more inclusive.ÌýÌý

AÌýrecorded lecture also creates opportunities for differentiated instruction. It can be difficult for students to stay completely focused for the entire lecture, so being able to re-watch or re-listen to the content whenÌýstudentsÌýcan allocate more focus isÌýespeciallyÌýbeneficial.ÌýÌý

Recordings further benefit students who are not native English speakersÌý(Mckie, 2019). They can engage with the material with captions, pause when something did not translate, or even slow the speed down!ÌýA great Universal Design for Learning (UDL) tip is to enableÌýlive Zoom closed captioning for your students. For Zoom sessions uploaded to Kaltura,ÌýÌýis user friendlyÌýand easy. This provides accessibility to students regardless of modality.Ìý

To record the class,Ìýyou could use the webcam on your computer, or the classroom computer. To get you started, you can fill out theÌýClassroom Meet & GreetÌýform to have Digital Media Services come help with your tech. If you need to borrow a camera or sound recording equipment,ÌýDigital Media ServicesÌýcan lend you what you need.Ìý

At the 91¿´Æ¬, we protect the intellectual property of all our faculty,Ìýincluding recorded videos.ÌýTo this end, students may not reproduceÌýor distribute anyÌýof the recordedÌýcontent.ÌýStudents who violate this policy will beÌýreported toÌýThe Office of Student Rights & ResponsibilitiesÌýand may be subject to both legalÌýdisciplinaryÌýaction.ÌýThe OTL has aÌýfull syllabus statementÌýon intellectual property.ÌýHowever, students with approved recording accommodations from Disability Services Program may record classroom lectures as long as they have a signedÌýAudio Recording Memorandum of Understanding.Ìý

Share Assignments, Discussions, and Course Materials in Canvas

To plan proactively for absences, offer your assignments, discussions, and course materials such as lecture notes and presentations on Canvas, even if there is an in-person component. You may want to ask other students in the course to collect and share notes. If artifacts were created in class (for example, a group brainstorming board) consider taking photos and sharing on Canvas.

These options can help keep students accountable for content missed during an absence. It also allows for different forms of engagement for all of your students. Educational technology likeÌýÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýPerusallÌýprovide options for different types of interaction with students whether they are in-person or online.

Plan for Exams and Accommodations

To plan proactively for absences, you can offer exams on Canvas, even if you have students take it in-person at the prescheduled time. Transitioning the exam to the online Canvas formatÌýcan take many different forms.ÌýÌý

You can to change due dates, add extra time, and add extra attempts per student.ÌýCanvas quizzesÌýalso haveÌýthe option for different question styles,Ìýsuch asÌýmultiple-choice, fill in the blank, true-false,Ìýfill-in-multiple-blanks, multiple answers, drop-down, matching, numerical, formulas, or even aÌýfile upload.ÌýCanvas canÌýalsoÌýÌýto help safeguard against sharing answers.ÌýÌý

If the exam is an essay or a project turned in as a PDF or Word Document, you can have students submit via Canvas. You will then be able to provide feedback through SpeedGrader.

An additional exam type might be aÌýpresentation;Ìýif that is the case, then a professor can create aÌýÌýlinkÌýon CanvasÌýand have that person either present synchronously, or record their portion, depending on their absence.

If you are hesitant to transition the exam online, consider exploringÌýÌý´Ç°ùÌýRespondus Monitor to help limit potentialÌýacademicÌýdishonesty situations.ÌýRespondusÌýMonitor does have some important drawbacks and limitations, though, soÌýplease make sure you review the OTL’s blog on theÌýinclusive use of proctoring technology.Ìý

If you need help setting up any of these alternative options for participation and accountability, please reach out to the OTL either by or contacting us at otl@du.edu. Additional resources can be found in the Educational Technology Knowledge Base. We are here to support you over the entire lifecycle of your course!