FAQ: A+ Attendance

At a Glance

Have a question? Here are some frequently asked questions about using A+ Attendance (also called aPlus+ Attendance).

About A+ Attendance

What is A+ Attendance?

A+ Attendance (also called aPlus+ Attendance) integrates into your Canvas course, offering a way to track and manage student attendance. It provides a centralized system for managing student attendance, offering flexible check-in options and an optional integration with your Canvas gradebook.

How do I learn how to use A+ Attendance?

• Get a Student View of Self-Check-In
• Access the Quick Start Guide for MIT Sloan Teaching Teams
• Set up A+ Attendance in Your Canvas Site
• Take Attendance with A+
• View A+ Attendance’s Instructor Guide

How do my students learn how to use A+ Attendance?

If using student self check-in, share How to Check into A+ Attendance with a Unique Code as a Student with your students before the first class.

Setting Up A+ Attendance

I’m new to A+ Attendance. Where do I start?

Before setting up A+ Attendance in your Canvas site, do the following:

1. Discuss A+ Attendance with your faculty.
   • Confirm that they would like to use A+ Attendance in the course.
2. If approved, review the Quick Start Guide for A+ Attendance.
   • Use this step-by-step guide to setup A+ Attendance in your Canvas site.

How can I check whether my Canvas Calendar events are set up correctly for A+ Attendance?

In your Canvas course, click Syllabus in the Course Navigation Menu. In the course schedule, look for calendar icons and your class session events.

Confirm that:

1. Class session events use a consistent naming format, such as 15.927 – Class Session – Spring 2026. This makes it easier to import only the class sessions into A+ Attendance.
2. The section name appears at the end of each section-specific event title, such as (Section A).

To double-check that an event is section-specific:

1. Click the calendar event
2. Click Edit.
3. Click More Options.
4. Confirm that Use a different date for each section is selected.

If the class session events are missing, inconsistently named, or not section-specific, update them before importing the sessions into A+ Attendance. See the next FAQ for step-by-step instructions on correcting your Canvas Calendar events.

I recorded attendance manually for the first week because self check-in didn’t work. How can I make sure it works going forward?

This issue is usually caused by how the Canvas calendar events were set up.

If the Use a different date for each section checkbox was not selected when the events were created, the events are not section-specific. When this option is selected, students only see the events that match their enrolled section on their Canvas calendar and To Do list.

Because Canvas calendar events are also used to generate sessions in A+ Attendance and track attendance, here are the recommended next steps:

1. Delete incorrect calendar events:
   • Manually delete the existing course calendar events EXCEPT for any sessions where attendance data has already been entered.
   • Events with attendance data cannot be deleted.
2. Re-create the class session events:
   • When creating your calendar events, select the Use a different date for each section checkbox when doing so.
   • Skipping this step is the most common cause of A+ Attendance not working as expected.
   • Use a consistent naming format, such as: 15.927 – Class Session – Spring 2026
   • Do NOT add section names (e.g., Section A) or topics to the event title.
     • When you select Use a different date for each section, Canvas automatically adds the section name at the end of each calendar event.
3. Re-import your Course Calendar events into A+ Attendance:
   • In your Canvas course, click on A+ Attendance in the Course Navigation Menu.
   • Click on Attendance Setup at the top.
     
   • Select the Specify import label filter checkbox [1] and choose Only include events with matching labels [2].
     
   • In the Labels field, type your class session title and add an asterisk at the end (e.g., 15.927 – Class Session – Spring 2026*). This will filter out non-class events (e.g., Office hours, assignments and exam due dates) and make sure only class sessions are imported into A+ Attendance.
     
   • Click Apply.
4. In A+ Attendance, select a section at the top (e.g., Section A, Section B), then click Sessions to confirm the sessions display as expected.

Using A+ Attendance

What are the default settings for student self check-in?

For student self-check-in, A+ Attendance uses the following default settings:

• Entry method: Rolling code
• Code refresh: Every 30 seconds
• Location requirement: Students must be on campus and connected to MIT Wi-Fi

Teaching teams can adjust these settings as needed for their course from the Attendance Codes screen.

If using a static code: The default check-in window is 5 minutes before the scheduled class start time through 15 minutes after class starts.

How do my students check in using a unique code on their devices?

Students can check in using the Canvas Student app on their iOS or Android devices or by accessing Canvas in a web browser on their laptop. They must be on campus and connected to MIT Wi-Fi to use student self check-in. Students enter the code displayed in the classroom to record their attendance.

For step-by-step instructions, see How to Check into A+ Attendance with a Unique Code as a Student.

What should I do if a student can’t check in?

If a student is physically present but cannot check in, manually mark their attendance in A+ Attendance.

Students cannot check themselves in after the check-in window closes, but teaching teams can update their attendance manually at any time.

If the issue is related to connecting to MIT Wi-Fi, direct the student to the STS Help Desk at stshelp@mit.edu or 617-253-2000.

What can my students see when clicking on A+ Attendance in the Course Navigation Menu?

Students can see code entry options (when enabled by the teaching team) and how many times their attendance has been recorded thus far.

What are the available attendance statuses in A+ Attendance?

The following table provides example use cases and the point value for each attendance status:

What happens if I leave a student’s attendance record unmarked (empty) for a class session?

IMPORTANT: In A+ Attendance, a student’s unmarked attendance records are not counted. For example, a student has an “Attended – On Time” status for two of three class sessions, but the third session remains unmarked. When this student clicks on A+ Attendance in the Course Navigation Menu, their attendance record will display as 2/2.

To ensure accuracy, make sure you’ve applied an attendance status (e.g., Attended – On Time, Absent – Excused) for each student in every class session.

How do I bulk apply attendance labels in A+ Attendance?

Bulk applying attendance labels is a time-saving feature in A+ Attendance that allows you to quickly fill in multiple attendance records after a class session. This is particularly useful for recording attendance for students who didn’t check in during class or for updating multiple records simultaneously.

1. In your Canvas course, click on A+ Attendance in the Course Navigation Menu.
2. In the top menu, click on the Section drop-down menu [1], and select the section that you want to take attendance for [2].
   
3. Navigate to the class meeting date you want to take attendance for and click on the column header.
   
4. Your class roster for the selected section will appear.
   
5. Click the Fill Blanks & No Data drop-down menu.
   
6. Select the appropriate attendance status (e.g., Attended-Late, Absent-Excused).
7. Click the Save button in the top-right corner of the screen to save your changes.
   

Important Notes:

• This process only affects empty attendance records, preserving any previously recorded data.
• You can use this feature multiple times with different statuses if needed.
• Always double-check your selection before saving to avoid errors.

How do I generate an attendance report in A+?

1. In your Canvas course, click on A+ Attendance in the Course Navigation Menu.
2. Click on Reports in the top menu.
   
3. Choose the type of report you need (e.g., Attendance Summary, Attendance by Date, Attendance by Sequence, Comments, Date of Last Attended).
   
4. Select your desired data range and columns.
5. To export, click the Export icon in the top right of the data table.
   
6. Choose CSV or Excel format for your export.

To learn more, refer to Course Attendance Reports.

Which roles on our teaching team can access and use A+ Attendance in our Canvas site?

Access to A+ Attendance in your Canvas site is available to specific roles within the teaching team. These roles include:

• Teachers
• Primary Course Admins
• Course Admins
• Teaching Assistants (TAs)

How to Get Support

Get in touch with our team by submitting a ticket. We’ll get you to the resources and support you need right away.

Related Resources

• Tool Overview
• Quick Start Guide
• Set Up A+ Attendance: Basic
• Set Up A+ Attendance: Advanced Options
• Take Attendance
• FAQ
• How to Check with a Unique Code as a Student
• All Related Resources