Before starting to move an offline exam online, you might consider whether you or a colleague might have an online exam from a previous semester that could be updated and used again. For instructions, see How do I copy a quiz to another course?
If using a previous version of an online exam is not possible, consider how to:
- be flexible and understanding with your students
- remind students of your shared commitment to academic integrity
- place reasonable expectations on yourself (and your students) about what can be accomplished in the time available
There are two main ways most faculty at Cornell choose to offer a final examination in Canvas.
Canvas Quizzes are generally used for multiple choice, true/false, and mixed question types.
Canvas Assignments are generally used for short answer/essay questions and complex math and science problems requiring students show their work.
For more details, see the comparison chart below. (You may want to look at our Rethinking Prelims to help you determine which features are important for your teaching needs.)
| Feature/Function | Canvas Assignments | Canvas Quizzes |
|---|---|---|
| Plagiarism Checker | file upload questions (doc/docx preferred) | -- |
| Timer (Limit time to complete once opened) | -- | Yes |
| Shuffled and/or Randomized Questions | -- | Yes |
| SDS Accommodations | differentiated due/availability dates | moderate timed quiz length |
| Annotated Commenting on Submissions | Yes | -- |
Notes for Accommodations
- When adding time for a student through the Moderated Quiz feature, be sure to also adjust their Assign To dates in the quiz to create a large enough window for the extended time.
- Make sure all accommodations are set before students begin a quiz. Changing settings during attempts can cause major errors.
Considerations of the Student Experience in Canvas Quizzes
- Quizzes autosubmit once the time limit is reached. If the Until date is reached before the end of the timer, the quiz will submit. (You may want to make sure the window between the Available From and Until dates is longer than the timer.)
- If students leave the quiz page, the timer will continue.
- Opening the quiz in multiple tabs or windows can cause major submission errors.
- Students who leave a quiz and return will be able to continue from where they left off.
- The Submit button will submit the quiz and lock the student out of it. This button should not be used to save progress.
