what is the difference between TA and observer in canvas

AnneSciolla

what is the difference between TA and observer in canvas

Chris_Hofer

Hello there, @AnneSciolla ...

Thanks for asking your question about the difference between a Teaching Assistant and an Observer role in Canvas.  These are the descriptions:

• TA [3]: These users have permissions similar to teachers except that TAs should not have access to SIS data. The TA role is meant to support the teacher role. Admins can manage TA permissions. For example, some institutions may permit TAs to grade student submissions.
• Observer [5]: This user role can be linked to a student user enrolled in a course. For example, parents, guardians, and/or mentors may wish to be linked to a student to view their course progress. Observers usually have the fewest permissions.

These can be found within the Canvas administrator Guide: What user roles and permissions are available in Canvas?.  Hopefully this information (and much more in the Guide) will be helpful to you.  Sing out if you have additional questions about this.  Thanks!