[ARCHIVED] How can I put a math equation or math symbols in the answer choices? I can get them in the body of the question but not the answer choices.

[jeanine_lynch]

I'm creating a math quiz and can get equations and math symbols in the body of the question, but I can't figure out how to put equations or math symbols in the answer choices, using fill in the blank question.  I was trying to put in the infinity symbol and can't figure it out.

[rrfischer]

Unfortunately, as far as I know, you cant directly type math symbols like pi or infinity into the fill in the blank questions. The only way I have been able to achieve this is to type it up on something that can type these symbols, such as Word, and then copy/paste into the answer choices.

On multiple choice questions, however, on the answer choices there's a icon that looks a bit like a pencil that will allow you to type answers using the same tools as the main body.

Hope this helps. 

[rhamlin1 · Accepted solution]

When doing a MC question go up to the pencil and edit  the answer, 

and then go to insert math equation

[James]

It's true that multiple choice questions support the Rich Content Editor, but that is not supported for fill in the blank questions, and some math people are not okay with converting everything into multiple choice.

The fill in the blank question type should to support the Rich Content Editor, either. You cannot reasonably expect students to go through and know how to get a Unicode symbol for infinity ∞ and type that in.

Using Essay questions is how you get access to the equation editor in a non-multiple-choice format, but then you have to grade it yourself.

Your only real choices right now for anything beyond a simple numeric decimal answer right (1) multiple choice if you want automatic grading or (2) essay if you want the students to enter the results.

And math people who wan't accept multiple choice should be grading it themselves because Canvas doesn't recognize or understand mathematics. It doesn't know that 2^0.5, 2^.5, sqrt(2), and 2/√2 are the same thing. If you had the Rich Content Editor enabled, someone might even use the equation editor and then you're looking at all of the various ways that you could write it with LaTeX. Fill in the blank questions need to match exactly in legacy quizzes although you can use regular expressions. Still Canvas doesn't understand math. 

Asking Canvas to automatically grade math is like asking it automatically grade an essay written in a foreign language. It's the same question type -- essay. To Canvas, that's just a bunch of characters and it makes no attempt to understand it. Until such time as Canvas understands how to interpret math (my tea leaves say a 3rd party would have to develop that), you should use specialized software that understands mathematics or plan on grading it yourself. Or resign yourself to using multiple choice.

[jmacpherson]

I disagree. There are plenty of services that understand "math". Desmos does. Wolfram alpha does. Deltamath does. You just need a simplified math editor or the ability to understand what "sqrt" or "/" means.

[ProfSMCC]

Also there are multiple dropdowns questions type and canvas does not allow you to add math symbols here. If you can do something for multiple choice, why not the same for multiple dropdowns.