FeedForward uses an invitation-based system for student enrollment, ensuring only authorized students join your courses. This guide covers individual invitations, bulk CSV uploads, managing invitations, and troubleshooting common enrollment issues.
1. Instructor sends invitation
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2. Student receives email
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3. Student clicks invitation link
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4. Student creates account (if needed)
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5. Student joins course automatically
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6. Student can access assignments
Invitation Form:
Student Email: student@university.edu
Optional Fields:
First Name: Jane
Last Name: Smith
Student ID: 12345678
Message Customization:
Use Default: Yes
Or Custom Message: |
Welcome to ENGL101! I'm looking forward
to working with you this semester.
Options:
Send Copy to Self: Yes
Expiration: 14 days
Students receive:
Subject: Invitation to join Introduction to Academic Writing
Dear [Student Name],
You have been invited to join the following course on FeedForward:
Course: Introduction to Academic Writing (ENGL101)
Instructor: Dr. Jane Smith
Term: Fall 2024
Click here to accept this invitation: [ACCEPT INVITATION]
This invitation will expire in 14 days.
If you already have a FeedForward account, you'll be added to
the course immediately. Otherwise, you'll be prompted to create
an account first.
Questions? Contact your instructor at jsmith@university.edu
Best regards,
The FeedForward Team
email,first_name,last_name,student_id
jdoe@university.edu,John,Doe,12345678
asmith@university.edu,Alice,Smith,12345679
bwilson@university.edu,Bob,Wilson,12345680
cjohnson@university.edu,Carol,Johnson,12345681
Select Your File - Click "Choose File" - Select your prepared CSV - Maximum size: 5MB
Preview Import ``` Import Preview: ┌─────┬──────────────────┬────────────┬───────────┐ │ Row │ Email │ Name │ Status │ ├─────┼──────────────────┼────────────┼───────────┤ │ 1 │ jdoe@univ.edu │ John Doe │ ✓ Valid │ │ 2 │ asmith@univ.edu │ Alice Smith│ ✓ Valid │ │ 3 │ invalid-email │ Bob Wilson │ ✗ Invalid │ └─────┴──────────────────┴────────────┴───────────┘
Valid: 2 | Invalid: 1 | Duplicates: 0 ```
Review and Confirm - Check for errors - Fix invalid entries - Confirm upload
Process Invitations - System sends emails - Track progress - View results
Common issues and solutions:
Error: "invalid-email" is not a valid email address
Fix: Correct the email format (user@domain.com)
Error: "jdoe@university.edu" appears multiple times
Fix: Remove duplicates, keep only one entry
Error: Row 5 missing email address
Fix: Add email or remove the row
Error: Unable to parse CSV file
Fix: Save as UTF-8 without BOM
View all invitations at a glance:
Invitation Status Overview:
┌────────────┬────────┬──────────────┬─────────────┐
│ Status │ Count │ Last Action │ Actions │
├────────────┼────────┼──────────────┼─────────────┤
│ Pending │ 15 │ 2 hours ago │ Resend All │
│ Accepted │ 45 │ 1 hour ago │ View │
│ Expired │ 3 │ 3 days ago │ Reinvite │
│ Declined │ 0 │ - │ - │
└────────────┴────────┴──────────────┴─────────────┘
For pending invitations:
Individual Resend - Find student in list - Click "Resend" - Confirm action
Bulk Resend - Select multiple students - Click "Resend Selected" - Or "Resend All Pending"
Remove unwanted invitations:
For invitations about to expire:
Individual Extension - Click "Extend" - Add days (max 30) - Save changes
Bulk Extension - Filter by "Expiring Soon" - Select all - Extend by X days
Monitor who has joined:
Acceptance Metrics:
Total Invited: 50
Accepted: 45 (90%)
Pending: 3 (6%)
Expired: 2 (4%)
Average Time to Accept: 4.5 hours
Fastest: 12 minutes
Slowest: 3 days
Personalize your invitations:
Dear [STUDENT_NAME],
I'm excited to have you in [COURSE_CODE] this semester.
Our first assignment will be available on [DATE]. Please join the course by [DEADLINE] to ensure you don't miss any important information.
Looking forward to working with you!
Best, [INSTRUCTOR_NAME] ```
Organize large classes:
Create Groups - Lab Section A - Lab Section B - Tuesday Discussion - Thursday Discussion
Assign to Groups - During CSV upload - After acceptance - Bulk assignment
Group Features - Separate announcements - Different due dates - Section-specific content
Handle course capacity:
Waitlist Settings:
Enable Waitlist: Yes
Waitlist Capacity: 10
Auto-Promote: Yes
Notification Settings:
Notify When Space Opens: Yes
Give Response Time: 48 hours
Auto-Cancel if No Response: Yes
Sync with your Learning Management System:
Export from LMS - Download roster - Format as CSV - Include email addresses
Import to FeedForward - Use bulk upload - Map fields correctly - Process invitations
Connect with institutional systems:
SIS Integration:
Import Method: API/CSV
Sync Frequency: Daily
Field Mapping:
SIS_Email → email
SIS_FirstName → first_name
SIS_LastName → last_name
SIS_ID → student_id
Conflict Resolution:
Use SIS Data: Yes
Notify on Changes: Yes
Prepare Students - Announce in class - Explain FeedForward - Set expectations - Provide timeline
Check Email Lists - Verify addresses - Remove duplicates - Confirm enrollment
Optimal invitation schedule:
Recommended Timeline:
Week -1: Send initial invitations
Week 1, Day 1: First reminder
Week 1, Day 3: Second reminder
Week 1, Day 5: Final reminder
Week 2: Individual follow-up
For non-responders:
Email Reminders - Automated resends - Personal messages - CC academic advisor
In-Class Reminders - Verbal announcements - Show accept process - Offer help session
Alternative Contact - Phone calls - Office hours - Peer assistance
"I didn't receive the invitation" 1. Check spam/junk folders 2. Verify email address 3. Resend invitation 4. Send to alternate email
"The link doesn't work" 1. Check if expired 2. Verify student email 3. Cancel and recreate 4. Provide direct link
"I can't create an account" 1. Check password requirements 2. Verify email not taken 3. Clear browser cache 4. Try different browser
"I accepted but can't see the course" 1. Verify acceptance completed 2. Check course status 3. Have student log out/in 4. Manually add if needed
Bulk upload fails - Check CSV format - Verify file size < 5MB - Remove special characters - Try smaller batches
Emails not sending - Check system status - Verify email configuration - Contact administrator - Use manual process
Minimal Information - Only collect necessary data - Email required, rest optional - No sensitive information
Secure Transmission - Encrypted invitation links - HTTPS required - Time-limited access
Access Control - Only instructor can invite - Students can't share links - One-time use tokens
Maintain educational privacy:
✅ Send invitations early in term ✅ Use bulk upload for large classes ✅ Follow up with non-responders ✅ Keep invitation lists organized ✅ Communicate clearly about the process
❌ Wait until assignments are due ❌ Share invitation links publicly ❌ Upload sensitive student data ❌ Ignore failed invitations ❌ Assume all students received emails
Set up a reminder system for yourself to check invitation status regularly during the first two weeks of class.
Students who join late can still access all previous assignment feedback, making the invitation system flexible for add/drop periods.