Waiting for Student Activity

Classwize will try to connect to your students’ devices while the class is in session. When Classwize doesn't get a response from the students' device, it will display “Waiting for student activity” on the student tile.

Some of the reasons why you’re seeing “Waiting for student activity” may include:

• You haven’t started your class.
• You’ve just started the class and Classwize is still connecting to your students.
• The student:
  
  • Is using a personal device that doesn't have Linewize Connect.Connect is an app or Chrome extension your school installs on students’ devices to provide Classwize features.
  • Is hot-spotting or connecting to the internet using their own internet connection.
  • Isn't connected to the internet.
  • Is using a browser other than Google Chrome on a BYO device.
  • Has logged out of Captive Portal (if this feature is available in your school).

What should I do?

Most of the time, this status simply means that the student is absent from school or hasn't used their device for several minutes. You may want to confirm if the student is supposed to be in your class, or if they've just stepped away from their computer. This is common in remote learning environments.

The student is unavailable, offline, or has connectivity issues

Check if the student has logged off or has disconnected

The most common cause for the “Waiting for student activity” status, especially in remote environments, is that the student has logged out of their computer or been disconnected from the internet. There are a few things you can try if you can contact the student or access their device:

Check the student’s connectivity.

Check if they are having trouble connecting to the Internet, or if they are using a personal device to hotspot and bypass Classwize and your school's internet filter.

Check if Linewize Connect is installed on their device.

If the student is using Connect on Windows or macOS

Ask the student to log in to their device using their school account. Connect for Windows or macOS will run automatically once the student logs in to their device using their school account.

To check Connect’s status, open the Connect app by selecting its icon on the Windows taskbar or the macOS menu bar.

The app will show the student's name:

If the student is using Google Chrome with the Connect extension on Windows or macOS

Make sure the Connect for Chrome Education extension shows the student is active.

1. On the Chrome toolbar, select the Extensions icon (puzzle), then Connect for Chrome - Education.
   
   
2. The extension will show (a) the student’s name, (b) the current active class, and (c) filtering and connection status.
   
   
   1.  

If the student is not active on the Chrome extension or you can’t find the Connect extension:

1. Ask the student to log in to their school profile in Chrome. See Sign in & sync in Chrome for instructions.
2. Select the 3 dots at the top-right of the browser window, then select Settings.
3. Ensure the You and Google page shows the student’s account, then select Sync and Google Services > Manage what you sync.
4. Under Sync data, enable Extensions.
5. Allow a few seconds for the change to take effect, then ask the student to open a site in a new tab. Connect should detect this new connection and the student’s tile should show a screenshot.

Your browser is blocking Third-Party Cookies on Chrome

Students using Connect for Chrome on their BYO devices can turn on a browser setting that blocks third-party cookies.

To allow third-party cookies on Chrome:

1. On the Chrome browser, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
2. Ensure Block third-party cookies is deselected.
   
   

The student is new to the school

If the student is new to the school, their school account may not yet be synced with Classwize and your class. Ask your school’s IT administrator if the student’s account has been configured in School Manager or if their account has been synced.

The class hasn’t started yet

You can manually start a class by selecting START CLASS at the top of your Classroom screen. Set the time when the session ends, and then select START. You may need to wait a few seconds while Classwize is connecting.

If you are running a scheduled class that has already started, try reloading your browser. Wait for a few seconds until their screens appear on their student tiles if you’re viewing Classwize in Screen view. You may also ask the student to reset their connection to Classwize by reloading their browser. See  Starting, Changing and Ending a Session for more information about starting classes.

The student is using a personal device (BYOD)

Ask the student to sign-in to their school account on their device.

Sometimes students who are using BYODs attempt to connect to Classwize while logged on to their personal account instead of their school account. If they are logged in as their personal account on their device, ask them to log in to their school account.

• How to switch users (accounts) in Windows

• Switch quickly between users on Mac

• How to switch between users on a Chromebook

Check if the student’s device is a managed or an unmanaged BYOD

We have stopped supporting a feature called Fast Connections, which allowed Classwize to monitor students’ online activities on their unmanaged BYODs-–that is, personal devices that don’t have the Linewize Connect desktop app installed and configured by the school. Rolling back Fast Connections especially affects List View for students using unmanaged Windows BYODs.

• If the student’s BYOD is unmanaged, contact your school’s IT administrator for help with installing the Connect app on the student’s personal device.
• If the student’s BYOD is managed, ask them to login again to their device using their school account and ensure the Connect desktop app is running in the background.

Check if Linewize Connect is installed or loading, and the student is signed in.

The student may not have Connect installed on their Windows or macOS device, or the Chrome extension may not be loading.

Check if the the student uses the Connect for Chrome extension on their BYOD

1. Ensure Connect for Windows or macOS is installed on their device and the student is logged on using their school account.
2. Ensure Chrome is syncing the student’s data.
   
   1. Select the three dots at the top right of the Chrome Browser, then select Settings. Make sure the You and Google page shows the student’s Google account.
   2. Go to Sync and Google Services > Manage what you sync.
      
      
   3. Select Sync everything.
      
      
3. Check if the extension has been installed on the student’s Chrome browser.

   1. Select the jigsaw icon on the top-right of the browser. If the Connect extension has been installed, it will appear on the Extensions dialog. 

      

   2. Select the Connect extension and make sure it displays (a) the student's name, (b) active classroom and (c) filtering status :
      
      

If the student is using the Connect for Windows or macOS desktop app

1. Check if the student is logged in to the device using their school account. Linewize Connect will automatically run in the background once the student is logged on to their school account.
2. Open 127.0.0.1:5770 on the device’s default browser and see if the active class is displayed on the page.
3. Try to restart the class and wait for a few seconds for your class to appear on the page.

If the student is on a school-managed Chromebook

1. Ask them to use Google Chrome instead of other browsers.
2. Ensure the student is signed in to Chrome using their school login details. See Sign in & sync in Chrome for more information.
3. Synchronize the student’s Google Account. Sometimes students say ‘no’ to synchronization when logging in to their school Google profile for the first time. This will stop Chrome from synchronizing data and settings between the Chrome browsers on their primary learning devices and their BYODs.

The student is attempting to circumvent Connect

Check if the student is hot-spotting

Students who connect to the Internet using third-party networks, such as those on mobile devices, instead of the school network can be difficult to prevent. Follow these simple steps to make sure students are connecting to the right network:

• Windows
• Mac
• Chromebook

If this is a recurring issue, speak to your school’s IT support for help with preventing hot-spotting primary learning devices and BYODs.

Check if the student has uninstalled Connect

In BYOD environments, students may have administrator access to their devices, allowing them to uninstall Connect. If Connect is still installed on the device, you should be able to find it using the device’s Find or Search function. Follow the instructions provided below:

• Windows: Find all your apps and programs
• macOS: Open apps on Mac

If the student has uninstalled Connect, contact your school’s IT administrator for assistance in deploying the application to your student’s personal device.

Check if the student is using Chrome on Incognito mode

If the student is in Incognito mode, the Incognito icon will appear on the top right corner of the Chrome browser window and the browser itself will be in dark mode or dark theme.

Ask the student to close their incognito window and sign in to their school account in Chrome.

Alternatively, you can enable Classwize in incognito mode.

1. On the Chrome browser, open chrome://extensions. The Connect for Chrome - Education tile will appear.
2. Select Details. The Chrome - Education details page will appear.
3. Toggle ON Allow in incognito.
   
   

Check if My School Manager is showing a different student account

Students can check whose account is currently logged in by going to my.linewize.net. If the account that is logged in belongs to another student, they can then go to login.linewize.net to log out that student, and then log in to their own school account. 

If my.linewize.net. shows that the account belongs to the current student, they can try logging in again.

You can also contact your school’s IT administrator to check whose account is logged on the device. IT administrators can log out the incorrect account from the device.

Wait for the device to detect the new user

Sometimes shared devices can be a bit slow to pick up that a new user has logged in. However, the student’s connection will appear on Classwize after a couple of minutes.