Automated Cengage Assignment Risk Alerts
Every morning, WebRun signs in to Cengage, opens each course you teach, finds assignments due in the next few days, checks the gradebook for students who have not started or not submitted, drafts a short check-in email to each of them in Gmail, and posts the at-risk list to your teaching channel in Slack.
How do I find students falling behind on assignments before the due date?
WebRun signs in to Cengage every morning, finds assignments due soon, and reads the gradebook for students who have not started them. It drafts a check-in email to each student in Gmail for you to send and posts the at-risk list to your private Slack channel, while there is still time to catch up.
- Students hear from a person while they can still catch up
- The outreach email is written before the lecture starts
- Nobody is missed because the gradebook was not checked that day
Built for instructors · course coordinators · academic advisors · student success teams
What does WebRun do on every run?
The exact actions WebRun takes, in order - in plain language, so you can adjust anything.
-
WebRun signs in and gets to work
Opens
www.cengage.comin a real browser with your saved login - no setup, no API keys. -
1
Cengage - find students who have not started
cengage.com
WebRun opens Cengage to find students who have not started. - Sign in to Cengage and open each course on your teaching list
- Find the assignments with a due date inside your warning window
- Read the gradebook and note which students have not started or not submitted
- Record how many days are left and how many assignments each student has outstanding
- Read only. WebRun never changes a grade, a due date, or an assignment setting
Done when Every assignment due soon has its list of students yet to start.
-
2
Gmail - draft a check-in to each student
gmail.com
WebRun opens Gmail to draft a check-in to each student. - Draft a short, encouraging check-in email to each student on the list
- Name the assignment and its due date, and offer office hours or help
- Address the student individually. Never copy one student on another student's email
- Leave every email unsent in drafts. You read them and press send
Done when A draft check-in is waiting for each student who has not started.
-
3
Slack - post the at-risk list
slack.com
WebRun opens Slack to post the at-risk list. - Post today's at-risk list to your private teaching channel
- Group it by course and put the nearest due dates first
- Show how many students each assignment is waiting on and who has more than one outstanding
- Keep the post inside the private channel. Student names never leave the teaching team
Done when The teaching channel has today's at-risk list by course.
How is each run configured?
Secure by default
Connect once, stays signed in
WebRun signs in once and keeps each session in a persistent environment, so every run picks up right where it left off.
Every action is checked against this policy before it runs.
Questions, answered
Will it email students without me?
No. Every check-in is written and left unsent in Gmail drafts. You read each one and press send, so a student only ever hears from their instructor, not from an automation.
Where do student names end up?
Only in your Gmail drafts and the private Slack channel you nominate. WebRun posts nothing publicly and never shares a name, a grade, or a submission outside the teaching team.
Can it change grades or due dates?
No. WebRun reads the gradebook and the assignment list only. Grading, extensions, and any change to course settings stay entirely with the instructor.
Related templates
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