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Why are my students showing as ‘Offline’ in Hāpara Highlights? Follow

Lisa Oosthuizen
  • Updated

This article helps teachers troubleshoot why students appear Offline in Hāpara Highlights and identify when to contact their school IT administrator.

Who this is for

Teachers

Summary

Students usually appear Offline in Hāpara Highlights when Hāpara cannot detect an active student Chrome session. Ask the student to check their internet connection, Chrome sign-in, Chrome Sync, school Google account, and the Hāpara Highlights extension. If multiple students or the whole class are Offline, contact your IT administrator.

NOTE: Students will appear “Offline” when using Kiosk Mode or lockdown browsers (e.g., Respondus in Canvas, Blackboard, or Moodle) that restrict activity during exams.

 

 

Steps to Follow

 

1. Check whether the student is connected to Wi-Fi

Ask the student to confirm that their device is connected to the internet.

If the student is not connected to Wi-Fi, they will appear Offline in Highlights.

 

2. Confirm the student is using Chrome

Hāpara Highlights works through the Chrome browser and the Highlights extension.

Ask the student to open Chrome and use that browser for class.

 

3. Confirm the student is signed in to Chrome

Ask the student to check that they are signed in to Chrome with their school Google account, not a personal account.

Students may appear Offline if they are:

  1. Not signed in to Chrome
  2. Signed in with a personal Google account
  3. Signed in with another student’s account
  4. Signed in with an account not recognized by Hāpara

 

4. Turn on Chrome Sync

Ask the student to click their display picture in the upper right corner of the Chrome Browser. If Chrome Sync is enabled correctly, you should see "Sync is on."

Screenshot 2024-11-15 at 2.05.01 PM.png

 

If Sync was off, ask the student to:

  1. Turn Sync on
  2. Restart Chrome
  3. Reopen Chrome with their school account
  4. Check Hāpara Highlights again

 

5. Check for multiple Google accounts

If the student is signed in to more than one Google account, ask them to sign out of all accounts and sign back in with only their school account.

On a Chromebook
  1. Select the time in the bottom-right corner.
  2. Select Sign out.
  3. Sign back in with the school account.
On a Windows or Mac device
  1. Open Chrome.
  2. Select the profile icon in the top-right corner.
  3. Remove or sign out of non-school profiles.
  4. Sign back in with the school account.

 

6. Check whether the Hāpara Highlights extension is installed

Ask the student to look for the Hāpara Highlights icon in Chrome.

It may appear:

  1. In the top-right corner of Chrome
  2. Under the puzzle-piece extensions icon

    Screenshot 2024-11-15 at 11.49.39 AM.png

Ask the student to select the Highlights icon. This may reconnect the student device to Highlights.

If the icon is missing, the extension may not be installed or may not be applying correctly. Contact your school IT administrator.

 

7. Restart Chrome or the student device

Ask the student to:

  1. Close Chrome.
  2. Reopen Chrome.
  3. Confirm they are signed in with their school account.
  4. Check whether they now appear online in Highlights.

If this does not work, restart the device and check again.

 

8. Check whether the class or roster was recently updated

If the student was recently added to the class, changed schools, moved groups, or added through a sync, there may be a delay before they appear correctly in Highlights.

Contact your school IT administrator if the student is enrolled correctly but still appears Offline.

 

9. Check whether Kiosk Mode or a lockdown browser is being used

Students may appear Offline when using Kiosk Mode or lockdown browsers such as Respondus in Canvas, Blackboard, or Moodle. These tools can restrict browser activity during exams.

 

10. Escalate to your IT administrator

Contact your IT administrator if:

  1. The Hāpara Highlights extension icon is missing.
  2. The student is signed in correctly but still appears Offline.
  3. Several students appear Offline at the same time.
  4. The whole class appears Offline.
  5. The student was recently added or rostered and still does not appear correctly.
  6. You suspect the extension, roster, or Google Admin settings need to be checked.

When escalating, include:

  1. Student name
  2. Student school email address
  3. Class name
  4. Device type
  5. Whether the student is connected to Wi-Fi
  6. Whether Chrome Sync is on
  7. Whether the Highlights extension icon is visible
  8. Whether one student, several students, or the whole class is affected

 

Additional Tips

  • If only one student appears Offline, it is usually an account, Chrome Sync, Wi-Fi, or extension issue.
  • If many students appear Offline, it may be a roster, extension deployment, network, or school-wide configuration issue.
  • Teachers can complete the first checks, but extension installation and Google Admin checks usually require IT support.
  • Screenshots would be useful for:
    • Chrome profile menu showing the signed-in account
    • Chrome Sync settings
    • Hāpara Highlights extension icon under the puzzle-piece menu
    • An Offline student tile in Highlights

 

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