Classic Quizzes v. New Quizzes, Part 2

Update, October 26, 2022: Canvas has updated its timeline for New Quizzes and has removed the June 2024 enforcement date.  Please refer to the Canvas@UD New Quizzes Transition Update.

Update, December 20, 2021: Canvas has updated its timeline for New Quizzes.  Classic Quizzes will be available for use through June, 2024.  New Quizzes will still be available as a feature to enable in your course, and the Canvas@UD staff is working on its implementation schedule as Canvas is now allowing more local control of the implementation phases.  We will update you as that process progresses.  For more information, please see the Canvas community blog post, Extension for Classic Quizzes.

As Classic Quizzes moves toward a planned deprecation, it is recommended that users begin exploring New Quizzes or migrate and verify a few Classic Quizzes to become familiar with the changes prior to the transition.  You can still create, edit, and deliver Classic Quizzes for now, but according to the current timeline, Classic Quiz creation will not be available after July, 2022.  In the Fall 2022 term, you will only be able to create quizzes using the New Quizzes tool.  This post is a follow-up to the Canvas@UD blog post, Classic Quizzes v. New Quizzes to highlight differences that may cause confusion based on testing and faculty experiences.  Canvas continues to develop features prioritized by the community, and to keep up to date, you can also refer to the Sunsetting Classic Quizzes Q&A product blog, the the New Quizzes Hub, and the Features Comparison document provided by Canvas.

The New Quizzes Editor
The editor in New Quizzes is a modified form of the standard rich content editor used in other Canvas tools.  Canvas is planning to integrate the standard RCE as part of the transition, but you may find your question formatting different until that integration is complete.  Differences in the New Quizzes editor are:

• The editor does not have an HTML editor, an accessibility checker, or a built-in media recorder
• There is no course Files content selector, so you cannot link to documents, images or videos previously uploaded to your course Files. If you wish to link to a file stored in your course Files, you must use a direct link using the URL of the file with the menubar link tool.  Any directly embedded images or videos must be uploaded directly to the quiz from your computer.  Videos uploaded into quiz questions allow for download during student viewing.
• There is no ability to embed content from third-party tools such as My Media. As a work-around for My Media, you may obtain the embed code from the video and use the “Insert/edit media” tool from the editor menubar.
• The math editor is MathQuill, not the same math editor that is in the standard RCE.  There is no Advanced View, but you can enter your own LaTeX commands wrapped in \( and \) directly into the editing area.  Equations entered will show as LaTeX commands while editing, and you will not see a preview until you save the question.  The Canvas Equation Editor Tips: Advanced View and Canvas Equation Editor Tips: Chemistry guides provide tips for writing LaTeX.

Grading New Quizzes
Grading in New Quizzes should be done using SpeedGrader, but the SpeedGrader interface can only be accessed through Grades and not within the quiz. Other differences with grading and feedback include:

• It is important to make sure that your assignment point value and quiz point value match.  Regardless of the number of points available in the quiz, the point value entered in the assignment details determines the value in the gradebook.  If you are unsure of the assignment point value as you build your quiz, make sure to edit the assignment details to match the point values after building the quiz.
• A quiz gradebook score 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 assignment 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.  If you choose to have two different point totals – one for the assignment and one for the quiz – please explain your grading policy to your students to avoid confusion.
• You cannot edit New Quizzes quiz questions after students take a quiz.  Instead, you must make a copy of the question to edit that will be used in future quiz-taking sessions.
• Unlike Classic Quizzes, you can regrade more question types in New Quizzes. You can regrade any automatically graded question, but this should be done only after all students have finished taking the quiz. When you regrade a question for one student, the change will be applied to all students asked that question.
• If the assignment point value changes after students have taken the quiz, you will need to regrade the quiz to update the gradebook score.  The regrade is scheduled, and if the course has a large enrollment, you may not see the scores change immediately.
• In New Quizzes, the default is that students can see all results and the instructor has to “restrict” viewing results in the quiz settings, unlike Classic Quizzes where students cannot see feedback unless the instructor selects the view responses option in the quiz settings.
• A manual posting policy for New Quizzes will not restrict the viewing of the quiz results.  The score will be hidden in Grades for the student, and you will see a visibility icon in the gradebook indicating hidden scores, but the policy does not override the ability to view results based on the quiz settings.
• Quiz statistics are found on the Reports tab of the quiz builder.  They can take up to 24 hours to appear and cannot be downloaded.

Migrating Classic Quizzes to New Quizzes
Classic Quizzes can be migrated on an individual basis through the user interface.  If you would like to migrate multiple Classic Quizzes, you can select multiple quizzes to export and import that export file using the “Import assessment content as New Quizzes” option during the import process.  Please note New Quizzes cannot be exported from a course as a QTI file.  Additional differences you may see when you migrate your quiz include:

• Some questions types, such as the multiple fill-in-the-blank type, may lose content or formatting because the entire question text is placed in the fill-in-the-blank type-a-statement field instead of the question stem area.  If you have images or use tables in your multiple fill-in-the-blank question type, they will require editing after migration.
• LaTex formulas in question prompts and responses will be converted to images during the migration process and will no longer be editable.
• Classic Quizzes question groups with embedded questions not linked to a bank will import as item bank questions.  However, the item bank questions are not stored in an editable item bank, but instead are stored in the quiz.  To view the questions in the group, preview the quiz. All quiz questions in the group will be displayed in the preview.

Differences in the Student Experience
Remember this change is an adjustment for students, too.  If you decide to incorporate a New Quizzes quiz with existing Classic Quizzes in your course, prepare your students for both to avoid confusion.

Note: Respondus Lockdown Browser no longer available after July 31, 2022.  Please see the ATS webpage, Removing Respondus from your Canvas Course.

• If you use Respondus Lockdown Browser with New Quizzes, the student is presented with a link to click that launches LDB for them, and after signing in, are taken directly to the quiz.  It may be a less confusing process for your students than using Classic Quizzes where students are prompted to open the LDB themselves, sign in to Canvas, navigate back to your course, and locate your quiz.  Regardless of the quiz tool you choose, it is always recommended that you provide your students a practice quiz to test their environment before taking a quiz in the LDB.  For more information, please visit the ATS webpage, Respondus LockDown Browser and Monitor.
• Also if you use Respondus Lockdown Browser with New Quizzes, you cannot disable the option to require students to use the lockdown browser to view the results.  If you wish to disable that feature, you will need to remove the Respondus LDB requirement from the quiz after students have completed taking the quiz.
• You cannot moderate a quiz during an active attempt to adjust the amount of time remaining.  If extra time is needed, submit the quiz attempt manually or ask the student to submit the quiz.  Then re-open the submission and provide additional time. Assignment availability dates and times still apply and may require modification for the student to continue.

For more information, visit the New Quizzes Instructor Guide or the New Quizzes Hub.  If you have any questions about the changes or about how to use Canvas effectively, IT-Academic Technology Services staff is always available at the IT-ATS Welcome Bar or you can send your questions to canvas-info@udel.edu.