Canvas New Quizzes
The Canvas vendor has released “New Quizzes,” an extensive update to the Classic Quizzes functionality that is available in your courses. Canvas plans to permanently switch to New Quizzes by the end of June 2024. In order to give you time to become familiar with and to begin using this new tool, it was made available to you starting in December 2021. New Quizzes offers a variety of assessment types and an easy-to-navigate user interface. This guide is designed as an overview for New Quizzes. To view the differences between Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes, view the Canvas New Quizzes Feature Comparison document.
You will have the option to continue using the existing quiz functionality that you are familiar with or switch to New Quizzes. CTL will also host workshops for the new tool during the Summer and Fall 2022 semesters.
New Quizzes Timeline
| Fall 2021 | Spring 2022 | Summer/Fall 2022 | Spring 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Quizzes – default | New Quizzes – default | New Quizzes – default | New Quizzes – default |
New Quizzes
| Can create Classic or New Quizzes | Can create Classic or New Quizzes | Classic Quizzes end of life (will not function) |
NOTE: New Quizzes continues to be updated/modified. Additional details about end of life for Canvas Classic Quizzes is available on the Canvas Community.
INSTRUCTOR READINESS CHECKLIST
Feature Variations
Although Classic and New Quizzes are similar in functionality, there are several differences in features and instructor workflow. Review the following variations before transitioning to New Quizzes. See the current feature comparison.
The Rich Content Editor (RCE) in Canvas New Quizzes is currently different from the RCE in the rest of Canvas, as its features are still being built. You currently cannot link to documents, images or videos previously uploaded to your course Files. All images must be uploaded directly to the quiz from your computer. Videos must either be uploaded from your computer or added with an embed code.
The New Quizzes Rich Content Editor currently does not include:
- Audio and video recording via the RCE
- Content Selector Sidebar (embedding course links)
- Accessibility Checker
- Apps and LTI tools such as Kaltura, YouTube, Microsoft
- HTML Editor
- Media Recorder
- Right-to-left/left-to-right formatting buttons
Ungraded questions
SpeedGrader will work on New Quizzes assessments. However, some question types must be graded manually.
In Classic Quizzes, an icon in the grade cell in Gradebook indicates ungraded questions. This icon does not appear when using New Quizzes. A grade appears, which excludes the ungraded questions’ values. Please check assignments for questions that require manual grading.
Quiz Total Points
New Quizzes have two settings that impact the total point value of the quiz. One is in the quiz details, and is called Set Total Points, and the other is the cumulative value of points assigned to questions. When you set up your quiz, make sure these two numbers are equal. Otherwise, Canvas will calculate the quiz grade as follows: A quiz grade is based on the percentage of quiz points earned (according to point values assigned to individual questions) multiplied by total points possible (according to the quiz details). For example, if a student earns 18 out of 20 points (90%) on a quiz worth 15 points in the assignment details, the student’s score in the Gradebook would be 90% of 15, or 13.5.
No To Do list
Ungraded New Quizzes are not shown in the “To Do” list for instructors.
While most Classic Quiz settings are available on the quiz creation screen, New Quizzes settings are accessed automatically after initial setup.
When creating a New Quiz:
- Fill in the assignment name, points, assignment group, and grade display options.
- Select the submission type, skip the submission attempts section, and complete the “assign to” options.
Click Build to open the New Quiz and start building the content.
Surveys can be migrated from Classic Quizzes to New Quizzes. However, the survey will be migrated as a standard quiz, because New Quizzes does not include a survey feature.
Innovations in New Canvas Quizzes
The addition of Canvas New Quizzes brings several new features including:
- Quickly duplicate a question type
- Easily align questions to Canvas outcomes
- New item bank features:
- Direct import into item banks when using New Quizzes
- Tag new items/meta data
- Search and filter items banks
- Share those item banks
- Quiz settings
- Waiting period in exam attempts
- Granular feedback
- Shuffle questions
- Shuffle choices
- Ability to add additional time for a student for all exams
- Additional question formats
- Below is a comparison of question types for Classic and New Quizzes.
| Classic Quizzes | New Quizzes |
|---|---|
| Multiple dropdown | Categorization – requires students to place answers in the correct categories |
| Essay | Essay |
| File upload | File upload |
| Fill in the blank | Fill in the blank |
| Formula | Formula |
| * | Hot Spot – students identify a specific area in an uploaded image |
| Matching | Matching |
| Multiple answer | Multiple answer – partial credit with penalties for incorrect responses |
| Multiple choice | Multiple choice |
| * | Ordering – students are required to place answers in a specific order |
| Text no question | Stimulus – gives students a piece of content with associated questions |
| True/False | True/False |
| Numeric | Numeric |
* question type is a new feature in New Quizzes.
Accessing New Quizzes
New Canvas Quizzes must be enabled in the Course Settings – Feature Options tab in each course.
Courses that have enabled New Quizzes are presented with two quiz options after “+ Quiz” is selected.
Migrating from Classic Quizzes to New Quizzes
Quizzes can be migrated from Classic to New Quizzes, although all quizzes should be reviewed prior to being assigned to students. Before attempting to migrate a quiz, ensure that New Quizzes has been enabled.
NOTE:
With few exceptions, Classic Quizzes migrate easily into New Quizzes. However, Surveys migrate as standard quizzes because New Quizzes does not include a survey feature. Also, Multiple dropdown questions will display as Matching questions in New Quizzes. Other Classic Quiz formats will remain the same in New Quizzes.
After ensuring that the New Quizzes format has been enabled in the course, click the Quizzes tab in the navigation menu.
- Choose a quiz from the populated list to migrate. Click the More (1) icon to access more options.
- Click on Migrate (2). Once the quiz is migrated, the New Quiz Icon (3) is displayed.
Note for users of screen readers: letters in parentheses in the instructions refer to corresponding areas on example images. If you have any questions about these instructions, contact eLearning for assistance.
Existing Question Banks are not used in New Quizzes. To migrate the questions from a Question Bank to New Quizzes, a Classic Quiz using the specific Question Bank must be created.
- Create a Classic Quiz from Question Bank: step-by-step instructions.
- Migrate Classic Quiz to New Quiz by following the directions outlined in the drop-down above.
Like Question Banks in Classic Quizzes, Item Banks in New Quizzes are used to store questions for use in other assessments. Item Banks can be used in any course where permissible.
- Multiple items can be added to an assessment from an Item Bank in New Quizzes.
- Questions will display in random order; therefore, students may view different questions when taking assessments.
Guide Adapted from UAB’s Elearning and Professional Studies Guide