Instructor Insight Best Practices Guide
Instructor Insight surfaces the data — this guide is about turning that data into sound judgment. The color-coded thresholds (green/yellow/red) are a starting point for identifying instructors who may need a closer look, not a final verdict on their own.
Best Practices for Instructor Course Setup
- Keep the gradebook up to date (recommended at least once per week).
- Post grades promptly after the due date.
- Participate in course discussions on a regular basis.
- Provide personalized feedback on graded work rather than reusing the same comment across students.
A Note for Canvas Users
Assignments submitted through Canvas New Quizzes that are auto-graded are not recorded as instructor activity in the gradebook — Canvas does not attribute the grading action to an instructor for these submissions. If grading activity is something you or your reviewer cares about for Instructor Insight metrics, we recommend using the Assignment tool rather than the Quiz/Assessment tool for graded work. This is a Canvas platform behavior, not something Instructor Insight controls. If your school also uses Dropout Detective, this same behavior affects that product too: auto-graded New Quizzes submissions can skew the Last Graded column, making it look like grading hasn't happened even when it has.
Instructor Insight Leading Practices for Instructors
■ Log into the course regularly — Last Access is one of the first metrics reviewed.
■ Grade promptly so Grades Posted and Ungraded Submissions stay low.
■ Participate in discussions at a pace consistent with the course's expectations.
■ Personalize feedback rather than using canned, copy-pasted comments — reviewers can see the raw feedback text.
■ Periodically review your own course-level charts to see how you compare to the peer average.
Instructor Insight Leading Practices for Account-Level Users Admins
Key Steps
1 Start at the summary dashboard. Sort by column to scan for instructors with the most red flags institution-wide, rather than reviewing alphabetically.
2 Use Filter Report for multi-variable checks. A single red metric can be noise. Filter for instructors who meet several criteria at once (e.g., 5+ days no access AND 7+ days no grades posted) to surface the cases that actually warrant a conversation.
3 Drill into the individual instructor before concluding anything. Compare their line (green) against the Peer Average (blue) on each chart to see whether they're actually behind their peers or just behind an arbitrary threshold.
4 Cross-check Grade Distribution against Grading Feedback. A tight cluster of high grades with generic, copy-pasted comments tells a different story than high grades with detailed, personalized feedback.
5 Use Ungraded Submission Ages to distinguish patterns. An occasional backlog (0–7 days) is normal. A consistent pile in the 15–30+ day range signals a real grading delay.
6 Document as you go with Notes. Add notes directly on the relevant chart at the point of observation. Notes are only visible to account-level admins unless shared via the print view.
7 Set up Alerts for ongoing monitoring. Favor multi-variable rules — they reduce noise by only notifying you when several concerning conditions line up together.
8 Consider Automated Messaging for lightweight, recurring nudges. Use Automated Messaging (via your Business Relationship Manager) for early-stage, minor lapses rather than jumping straight to direct escalation.
Interpreting the Metrics
| Metric | What Red Means | What to Check Before Acting |
| Last Access (days) | ≥5 days since login | Is the course between terms or recently started? |
| Grades Posted (days) | ≥5 days since grades posted | Does the course have infrequent large assignments? |
| Ungraded Submissions | >5 per student on average | Check timing against due dates and Ungraded Submission Ages. |
| Last Post to Discussion | ≥5 days | Does this course use discussions as a core component? |
| High-Risk Students (%) | >10% | Reflects student population/course design, not just instructor behavior. |
| Students | N/A | Small classes make percentages swing harder — use to contextualize other metrics. |
Cautionary Notes
■ A single red metric, viewed in isolation, is rarely enough to act on.
■ Peer average is calculated only across supported courses (and within the same sub-account, if applicable) — not an institution-wide benchmark.
■ Canvas auto-graded submissions and zero entries aren't counted as graded submissions.
■ Rubric-based feedback doesn't appear in the Grading Feedback comments area.
■ Be mindful of FERPA regulations, and don't notate anything personal, private, or confidential in Notes.
Tips for Efficiency
■ Use the expand arrow to compare an instructor's multiple courses side-by-side.
■ Add notes in the moment, not after the fact.
■ Use the print view (respects active filters) for a clean, scoped snapshot to share externally.
Need Help? Reach out to your Business Relationship Manager or support@aspiredu.com.