What Parents & Guardians Need to Know

Types of Parent & Guardian Access

There are two ways parents can observe their student's Canvas courses: as an Observer in Canvas from a desktop computer or as an Observer via the Canvas Parent App. It is important to note that as a parent or guardian, you need to be paired to a student with a pairing code. The username and password that you set in Canvas will be the same for the Canvas Parent mobile app. Please note that this is just a brief introduction to the type of access you have as a parent. We will explore each of the roles in greater detail in the upcoming modules.

#1 Canvas Observer Role from Desktop/Laptop

Using a desktop or laptop computer, the Canvas Observer role allows parents/guardians to view their students’ course content (assignment due dates, assignments, course content, grades, feedback, etc.). When a parent creates a Canvas “Observer” account, they have the ability to pair with their student's account and follow their student in Canvas. Here is more information on Parent Visibility/Participation as an Observer.

#2 Canvas Observer Role from Parent Mobile App

The Canvas Parent app is a streamlined mobile application that allows parents or guardians to have access to important class information right at their fingertips. With the Canvas Parent app, you can view a student’s course events, upcoming assignments, and grades. You can also add and view multiple students in your account. Compared to the desktop experience, the app is a simplified view of the student course calendar, grades, and assignments. The Canvas Parent app is available to parents and guardians using iOS or Android devices.

**Canvas Feature Access with Desktop/Laptop vs. Parent Mobile App**
Canvas Feature	Desktop/Laptop	Parent Mobile App
View Home Page	X
View Calendar Events	X	X
View Assignment Due Dates	X	X
View Assignment Details	X	X
View Announcements	X	X If enabled by the instructor
View Syllabus	X	X
Access Course Content and Modules	X	X
View Student Submissions	X
View Assignment Feedback	X
View Assignment Scores	X	X
View Quiz Scores and Feedback	X
Message the Instructor	X

System Requirements

Canvas is easy to access and easy to use, which helps make teaching and learning easier. To learn more about technical requirements, please see the following:

Which browsers does Canvas support and what are the basic computer specifications?

*Note: The best user experience will be provided in the Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox internet browsers.