[ARCHIVED] Change quiz due date after it became available

[trottier]

Hello:

I tried to change the due/until dates on a Canvas quiz after I initially released it to my students. Although the new dates were correctly displayed in the Quizzes area, the system automatically submitted students' work on the original due date! I'm not sure if this is the case for students who had not yet started the quiz before I made the change, but it is certainly true of everyone who did.

I know that quiz *content* changes (questions/answers) are not seen by students who have already started it (which is a very significant limitation), but I gather now that this limitation also applies to changes to the dates, although this was not at all clear to me from the Canvas documentation.

I'd be very grateful for clarification on whether there are in fact limitations to quiz date changes, or if I misunderstood how to go about this correctly.

Many thanks,

Howard.

[Renee_Carney]

 @trottier ​

The students that were impacted, were they taking the quiz while you changed the due date?  Have you had students start and complete the quiz since you changed the due date?  If so, were they impacted?

[trottier]

Hi Renee:

Thanks for asking. As far as I can tell, only those students who started the quiz before I made the changes could not see the changes.

Howard.

[Renee_Carney]

Thank you!

This sounds like the quiz is functioning as designed.  If the students have started the quiz, any changes made to the quiz will not apply to them.  Their quiz requirements/setting will be in alignment with the applied settings when they began the quiz.

This design ensures that the students always know what to expect from the beginning of the quiz.  It sounds like you may have been lengthening their time, but imagine if an instructor was shortening the time without the student knowing.  That would be a bummer situation.

Does that help?

[trottier]

Hi Renee:

I understand that rationale, but I think instructors should have the flexibility to decide how to administer their own assignments. In particular, I think that being able to extend due dates is essential - for example, if one doesn't cover a lecture sequence as fast as originally planned. Also, adding some text to the question statements, after the assignment is released, for clarification, or to correct an error in the formulation of the question, is essential.  Our old system (WebCT) allowed these changes to be made, and so does the publisher's website for the book I'm using. I'm using Canvas to administer assignments for students who buy used books, as a courtesy, but these inflexibilities in Canvas are giving my conniptions !

Howard.

[professorMG]

Feb. 2022. I have run into this so many times. As an instructor for many years I simply do not understand why we can't extend the due date for students after we assign the quiz. I use these quizzes like "homework" and what if I miss teaching a lecture (or we go slower than expected). Why can't I allow the students more time to complete this. What if I student needs more time due to illness? This is the very worst issue I've run into with Canvas. It looks like instructure has known about this for at least 5 years, yet here we are. Why not let this be the choice of the instructor?

[nikhil_s_padhye]

Renee, I am afraid that I don't see the point to making the assignments/quizzes so inflexible. There are many ways in which an instructor can create a 'bummer situation', as you call it. For example, we could delete the quiz altogether. Just let course instructors decide how to administer their own test - that is what Canvas ought to be doing.

Like Howard, I too was surprised when untimed assignments were auto-submitted at the original due date, completely disregarding the changes that I had made. It actually created a bummer situation for some students because they were locked out of the assignment. At the very least, Canvas ought to provide a warning when a change is made to the due date and provide a list of students who have started the assignment, but have not submitted it yet. Even then, it will be necessary for them to abandon their current attempt and start a new one. The best solution is to trust that instructors are not trying to make it harder for their students by taking unreasonable steps (such as in the example you mention), and give them the needed flexibility.

[marianna_pinter]

This malfunction of canvas still exist in 2019 Sep and causing an unnecessary xtra work for instructor, help desk, student; and of course panic. It hit my class on Friday afternoon. . . . And no, I don't think that it is alright not to find time to fix this major error in canvas since 2016. If the design meant to be this way, then maybe canvas developers could reconsider what is the expectation when an LMS is used. At the user end the LMS is a tool to help teaching: organize, deliver content including assignment/quizzes; it is not expected to put limits on the pedagogy. It is not expected to make students panic. . . .  The least canvas could do is to add correct description explaining that the dues dates of only not-yet-started quizzes canbe extended.

[rebyers]

Yes, this is a most ridiculous issue with the Canvas quizzes.  It just hit me, too.  To not allow us to administer a quiz the way we want to is overly controlling.  I just wanted to give my students a few extra minutes on a quiz that ended up being harder than I expected.  That you don't allow us to change that is overly controlling and not a service to those of us actually using your product.  If a professor wanted to reduce the time, then they have bigger problems than simply clicking settings in canvas.  Change this.

[marianna_pinter]

Actually, in my opinion, the most ridiculous issue with canvas quizzes is that the fill-in-the-blank is not case sensitive. Posted for vote in 2016; canvas markes it completed. But, of course it is still not case-sensitive.

[Chris_Hofer]

 @marianna_pinter ...

I'm not exactly sure if this is the Feature Idea you are referring to, https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/7365-case-sensitive-answers-in-a-quiz" modifiedtitle="true" ti..., but it is one that I found that is marked as "Completed".  It's marked "Completed" because it is functionality that exists in New Quizzes (formerly called Quizzes.Next).  It is my understanding that Instructure is not putting any more work into the current (or what is also sometimes called "legacy") Quizzes because eventually everyone will be transitioned over to New Quizzes.  If you take a look at this Guide, How do I create a Fill in the Blank question in New Quizzes?, scroll about half-way down to the section on "Select Text Match", and you'll see the option for "Exact Match".  So, yes, this is available in New Quizzes:

Exact Match: Requires case and spelling to match exactly.

I would recommend that you talk with your school's local Canvas administrator to see if they have talked about making New Quizzes available to you and your colleagues at your school.  Your Canvas admin(s) may be holding off for a bit to release this, but I do know that some schools are already using New Quizzes...so it would be worth asking at your school.

I hope this helps, Marianna.  Please let Community members know if you have any questions...thanks!

[marianna_pinter]

As long as the New Quizzes (1) unable to accommodate lockdown browser AND (2) legacy question banks/quizzes cannot be automatically transferred to new quizzes, any function that might work in new quizzes is not a solution to issues existing in the legacy quiz. . . . Yes, I unfortunately put a lot of work into new quizzes before I figured that I cannot use it (no lockdown, the math editor has no matrix entry ) . . .  And, yes I was referring to the, Case sensitive answers in a quiz, you can see my comment there. The response I got is not reasonable: in my opinion it is unfair to refer to quizzes.next functionality as a solution, since quizzes.next is missing basic funcionalities and canvas could not solve seamless data transfer between legacy & quizzes.next. 

[Chris_Hofer]

Thanks for the extra information,  @marianna_pinter ...

I can see how not having some of the things you've mentioned could be problematic.  While my responses might not offer immediate solutions for you, I did want to share a couple additional links.  (Please keep in mind that I'm an administrator for our Canvas environment and do not teach.  I have taken some time to try out New Quizzes...but I am still learning about the features it has to offer.)

• New Quizzes User Group -- This is the New Quizzes group here in the Community.  If you are not a part of this group, you can join it at any time by using the link that I've provided.  Click on the "Follow" button at the top right corner of the group page.  Also, next to this button is an "Actions" button.  Go there, and then click on "Join group".
• https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-15077-4152837155 -- I'm not sure if you've seen this Guide, but it might help as you are moving already-created quizzes to the New Quizzes interface.

Regarding things like the LockDown Browser...  It's my understanding that New Quizzes is an LTI tool built by Instructure.  The Respondus LockDown Browser is a third-party LTI tool that can be integrated into Canvas.  I'm not a programmer, but I'm not sure that I've ever heard of two separate LTIs "talking" to each other...which may by why the Respondus LockDown Browser may not work with New Quizzes.

Again, thanks for the earlier reply, Marianna.  I hope this extra bit of information will be of help to you.

[marianna_pinter]

Chris, my understanding is that there is no lockdown browser equivalent available in quizzes.next / new quizzes. My point is not the name, but the functionality. There must be an option to take a quiz, which prohibits opening multiple tabs and accessing anything else but the quiz question: I know it was promised for the beginning of this semester, but I have seen remarks saying that it did not happen. The point is not the name. Are you saying that quizzes next canbe used to administer quizzes right now while prohibiting student access to other web sites and to other information on the computer? If not, then I have no reason to consider using it. . . Transfer legacy bank migrations to quizzes.next bank: I suggest you trying it and keep in mind how the process would work for 1000+ questions. ... I understand that you are and admin, and are not a programmer nor teacher. In my experience canvas takes teacher feedback very lightly.

[JACOBSEN_C]

"[...] I'm not sure that I've ever heard of two separate LTIs "talking" to each other...which may by why the Respondus LockDown Browser may not work with New Quizzes."

And instructure is aiming to replace the native Canvas quizzing feature entirely with this New Quizzes LTI ...?!...  

[marianna_pinter]

Yes, the new is available already . . .  and for issues in the legacy/native quiz instructure/canvas always responds that they don't fix those issues because they work on the new quiz. They ask for patience, while we are in the middle of the semester teaching classes. And there are always couple of links in the response to read about the new quiz. . . 

[JACOBSEN_C]

I hear you, Marianna.  I'm an admin to our school's Canvas instance and I have not turned New Quizzes. I have a hard time exposing our faculty to the issues that seem inevitably to surface midterm; live students, live grades, live everything - not optimal. The lack of 'compatibility' with the LockDown browser is an issue similarly.  But, that said, we are in a tough spot in not turning it on because we can't have a test group of faculty bold enough to try it do so and we cant start a/the process to migrating over quizzes and question banks into New Quizzes - even in the state of how migrating is to be handled at the moment.  It's an interesting quandary to be in...

[Chris_Hofer]

 @marianna_pinter ...

Are you saying that quizzes next can be used to administer quizzes right now while prohibiting student access to other web sites and to other information on the computer?

No...not at this time, at least.  (Keep reading, though...for another link at the bottom of this reply.)  Someone else here in the Community asked a question last night about a lockdown brower-like experience for Canvas.  You can find my reply here: Will Canvas ever produce software that will lock students into a quiz so they are unable to view oth... 

In my experience canvas takes teacher feedback very lightly.

Instructure gets feedback from instructors, students, and Canvas admins a variety of ways.  Sharing our thoughts (both positive and negative) here in the Community is only one of the many ways that they gather feedback.  If you've not had a chance, please review the "Discover" section near the top of this document: What is the feature development process for Canvas? and also the section on "If my idea doesn’t align with a priority, is it still important?".

 @JACOBSEN_C ‌...

And instructure is aiming to replace the native Canvas quizzing feature entirely with this New Quizzes LTI ...?!

Since I don't work at Instructure, I don't have all the details.  The best advice I can give you right now is to continue to follow the New Quizzes User Group‌ space ... since this is the space where you can review the timeline to get an idea of what Instructure's plan is.

For both Marianna and Clint...

If you scroll down this page, New Quizzes User Group, just a bit more...you'll see the heading "Prioritization Exercise Results".  It's encouraging to see that Instructure has "Lockdown Browser support" at position #5 with a status of "Design" (past the "Discovery" stage).  As I've stated previously, I don't work for Instructure...so I don't know specific dates.  But, IMHO, it's good to see that they are working on a solution for everyone.

Thanks...

[JACOBSEN_C]

Ah - groovy, thanks.  It's tough to embrace any regression, even with a promise of progression later.  Generally, with the faculty I work with, concerning their students' experience, it's not an option.  There's only progress, and come back to them when it's fixed - if you follow me.

[rebyers]

Here - I'll give another example of why this is important.  I uploaded the incorrect file to the quiz and didn't discover it until the middle of the quiz.  I re-uploaded the correct file and but since you don't allow students to update the quiz content during the quiz NO one could access the corrected file.  I had to email it to them.  Change this.

[marianna_pinter]

Yes, this caused me the loss of quite some time too.

[rebyers]

In short - no, that does not help as it does not support needed behavior in actual teaching situations.

[Paigeden01]

Renee, this is a terrible design.

[akehler]

This problem just happened to me, and I simply can't believe that this is the intended functionality.  We can't extend the due date for a quiz for students who have already started it?  Completely absurd.  This is so basic that I'm not sure I can continue using the system.    

[Stef_retired]

Hello,  @akehler  Welcome to the Canvas Community! The ability to moderate a student's in-progress attempt is available for users of New Quizzes. Please read through How do I moderate a student's assessment attempt in New Quizzes?  

New Quizzes is separate from Old (Classic) Quizzes, and both quiz types can be used in the same course at the same time. If you'd like to start trying it out and don't see the ability to enable it in course settings | feature options, please contact your local Canvas admin for guidance after reading through the resources in the User Group: New Quizzes.

[marianna_pinter]

Hi Stephanie -  New quizzes is not helpful until it has lockdown functionality. Also using both legacy and new quizzes parallel simultaneously means developing the question banks twice, since the transfer is neither streamlined nor accurate. Having lockdown functionality in new quizzes is top importance as long as new quizzes is in the future plan at canvas  

[Stef_retired]

 @marianna_pinter , we hope you're periodically reviewing the timelines posted in the User Group: New Quizzes. According to the image, Respondus Lockdown Browser is listed there as a critical feature slated for Q2 2020 release.

[marianna_pinter]

Unfortunately it was also promised by the 2019 Fall semester. . . . 

[Stef_retired]

 @marianna_pinter ‌, I've not seen statements to that effect.

[akehler]

Thanks for your response, Stephanie.  I looked at the New Quizzes documentation you pointed me to, but unless I'm misreading, it looks like that's just for modifying settings on a single-student basis.  I need to be able to extend the due date for all students in the class.   It's a completely normal, and indeed fairly common, thing to do.  And I suspect that it will be especially necessary this coming quarter as we transition to on-line teaching.  

The way I had to deal with the problem from a couple weeks ago is have all the students whose assignments were prematurely auto-submitted email me their answers instead.  This was around half of a class of 170 students.  It took me hours to work through; hours that I didn't have to spare.  Extending the due date in New Quizzes one student at a time is not an option.   

I feel like I must be missing something; surely there's a way to extend a due date for an assignment for the whole class, and to fix problems in assignment questions such that all students can see the fixes.  No?  Without this I feel like I need to change to another system, as I can't go through what I just went through again.  But like the rest of academia, my hands are a little full right now with transitioning to on-line teaching.  

[Stef_retired]

 @akehler , extending the due date on a New Quiz for all students, or selected students, on any assignment (and New Quizzes are based on the assignment type) can be quickly accomplished in the settings for the assignment, as described in the Edit Due and Availability Dates section of How do I add or edit details in an assignment?  To access the assignment details for a new quiz, click on the three dots that display to the right of the quiz in your quizzes list and select Edit.

[Stef_retired]

...so for the use case you've described, I'd recommend extending the due date and adding an attempt in the settings for the quiz itself. You'll see that in the Allow Multiple Attempts section of https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-15053-4152780618 

[akehler]

Thanks, Stephanie, I'll look into it.  I wouldn't want to allow multiple attempts though.  I just want students who had started the assignment to be treated the same way as students who hadn't, i.e., to have until the new due date to complete the assignment.  

[marianna_pinter]

Hi Andrew, -  Are your question banks built in legacy quiz (default; this is what I use when clicking quiz on the left panel in canvas)? 

• legacy quiz: the settings for each attempt stays what they are at the time a student opens the quiz. Instructors are given no authority to override it. I learned this on the hard way when I extended the due date of a quiz and every attempt started before the extension was autosubmitted at the initial date/time (that is extension did not apply). The due date extension is dysfunctional in legacy quiz.
• new quizzes: I don't know if due date canbe extended for the whole class. I cannot use new quizzes, since it does not work with lockdown browser (or any other solution which would prevent having multiple windows open while taking the exam). 
• legacy question bank to new quizzes bank: if you have your question bank in legacy and you plan to transfer it to new quizzes: the 2 banks are not compatible, you may want to assign time generously to do this

Best,

Marianna

[marianna_pinter]

Hi Stephanie, adding new attempt with extended due date means that the student must start all over again. New attempt is not the same as extending the due date of an already started quiz. Regards, Marianna

[Stef_retired]

You are correct,  @marianna_pinter ; that is different functionality, and is described in the Reopen Assessment Attempt section of How do I moderate a student's assessment attempt in New Quizzes?  The only feature idea I was able to find that requests expansion of the existing functionality is this one: https://community.canvaslms.com/ideas/14934-select-multiple-students-in-the-quiz-to-add-attempts 

[marianna_pinter]

Yes, it seemed that Andrew asked the extension of an already started quiz.

PS: I am still in legacy, because new quizzes lacks of lockdown-type functionality. But it seems that adding due date extension option (not adding an additional attempt) must be on the to-do list as well. 

[Stef_retired]

 @marianna_pinter ‌, I haven't been able to find a feature idea that requests the combined ability to extend the due date for all students (which is already possible in New Quizzes either for some or all students by changing the assignment settings and using the differentiated due date functionality as needed) while also allowing those students who still have quiz attempts in progress to resume their in-progress attempts with the new due date. If you'd like to share that idea for community consideration and possible prioritization for development, please feel free to do so after reading through How do I create a new feature idea in the Canvas Community?‌

[marianna_pinter]

Sorry, Stephanie - really no offence; but I have not seen any feature that mattered to my work addressed by canvas. This was also requested in legacy quiz conversations: it was not considered by canvas; I remember when I spent a day with the fixes after extending a due date in a live course with big enrollment. . . .  If you post it based on users' feedback, that is fine. If you havn't seen this as a feature idea posted, then most likely, users have not yet discovered the lack of it in new quiz. And you can see the lack of it causing issues (e.g. Andrew's post). This is a setting which should be there by the default design; other LMS, I used before had it. 

[DenverPeter]

I have this exact same issue today, 5 years after the original post, and the "this is how it's supposed to function" answer is unhelpful at best. There are excellent and arguably not unusual real-world reasons to allow administrators of Canvas Quizzes to alter some aspects of the quiz while it's happening.

For example: I was administering a Canvas Quiz today online, and there were several fire alarm drills on campus during the exam. I needed to extend the quiz time for all students so as to not unfairly punish those who had to rush outside during the drill. My quiz duration was controlled by the availability window (I had set availability from and until specific times). 

Though Canvas Quizzes made it look like I was able to change everyone's availability window (as in, I could edit the quiz and delay the "available until" time), this was not applied to any of the ongoing quizzes all of which were auto-submitted at the original time. 

Instructors need and want this kind of flexibility.