This article outlines LMS features with which to be familiar as a parent or guardian.
Learning Management Systems
A learning management system (LMS) is the online environment for the delivery of academic courses and the documentation, tracking, and reporting of a student's course performance. Each LMS is unique in the features it provides.
Click on the item below to learn more about its availability and function in your student's learning management system.
Observer Account
An observer account is a read-only experience allowing parents and guardians to view their child's course material, due dates, announcements, and more. Observers can view the courses but cannot participate in the courses.
Buzz
If your child's school is using the Lincoln Learning instance of the Buzz LMS, you will have access to an observer role. For more information on the permissions you have with this role, please visit our The Buzz Observer Role resource.
If your student's school is using their own instance of Buzz, they have the option to enable the observer role. Please reach out to your school contact if you have questions about this role.
Additional Buzz Resources
Get started with Buzz: Parents and Observers
Buzz user manual: Parents and Observers
Canvas
As an observer, parents can link their Canvas account to their child's account and monitor their progress, view course content, and read announcements. For more information, see the How do I sign up for a Canvas account as a parent? resource.
Additional Canvas Resources
Account Registration and Student Pairing
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Monitoring Progress and Accessing Grades
It is important to monitor your student's progress and review their grades periodically to ensure your child is producing quality work and submitting their assignments on time.
Note, though, that passing grades do not necessarily mean your child is appropriately engaging with their course's material. Talk with your child about their classes and what they're learning. Ask them questions about their grades and the feedback their receiving from their teachers.
Review our Viewing Your Grades resource to learn how to view your student's grades in their LMS.
Additional Buzz Resources
How do I view a student’s progress?
How do I view my progress (Grades screen)?
Additional Canvas Resources
How do I view the Grades page for a student as an observer?
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To-Do List
The To-Do List tells the student when they have an assignment due. Our student resource, Understanding the To-Do List, explains more about this feature.
Buzz
In Buzz, the To-Do List shows all activities with due dates coming up within seven days in addition to past-due assignments. It is a reminder for students to see when graded Assess Its are due.
Additional Buzz Resources
How do I use the Activities tool and Course Home pages?
Canvas
In Canvas, To Do items are those on which the student or teacher have placed a due date.
Additional Canvas Resources
How do I use the To Do list and sidebar in the Dashboard as a student?
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Assessments
Lincoln Learning Assessments, whether in question-answer form (multiple choice, multiple answer, matching, ordering, etc.) or project-based (worksheet, original student work), are used to measure students' understanding and mastery of content within our courses.
Depending on the course(s) in which your child is enrolled, they can experience formative assessments known as Assess Its or summative assessments such as Checkpoints, Mastery Assess Its, and Semester Finals. Read our Assessments Overview resource for more information.
Our Submitting Online Assessments and Submitting Upload Assessments resources provide helpful information for students to submit their work.
Additional Buzz Resources
How do I review course activities?
Additional Canvas Resources
How do I view Quizzes as an observer?
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Announcements
Teachers may send announcements to students about a change in the content or schedule or as a reminder of an upcoming due date. Teachers may also send a message to individual students; these messages may be a statement or question about an assessment performance, progress check-in, or a follow-up to previous communications.
Additional Buzz Resources
Additional Canvas Resources
How do I view Announcements as an observer?
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Please note the images found in this resource may not match your screen. Access and/or features may vary based on client contract.
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