[ARCHIVED] How to password protect an assignment

[tiffany_morgan]

Hello

I am wondering how I can password protect an assignment the way I would a quiz? We have quiz items that are delivered to us and graded via an LTI external tool from a vendor. As a result, all of the items are considered assignments with an external tool submission type. Because these items are really exams (module, midterm, final exams) I would like a way to password protect them (we require that proctors enter the passwords for the students).

If it is not possible any workarounds that people have found useful?

Thanks!

[kona]

 @tiffany_morgan , there isn't a way to password protect assignments. I think the reason for this is that you can technically upload a file to a quiz, which you can password protect.

As for workarounds, I've never heard of one, but I'll share this with the Canvas Admins​ group to see if they know of anything.

[tiffany_morgan]

Thanks for the quick feedback!

Ive been brainstorming just a bit and could see putting the item in a module that restricted release based on passing a quiz. The quiz is one question and we share the answer to the quiz with only the protector. Not ideal but may be a kludgy fix

I'll keep thinking, but would love to hear if any others have better ideas

thanks again!

[Stef_retired]

 @tiffany_morgan ​, since this has now become a question where multiple answers might prove to be equally useful, I've flipped the format over to a discussion.

[nkadambi]

This might work for some of you. Create your assignment as a PDF and add password protection to the file. You might need subscription to premium version of Adobe or another PDF editor.

[lglen]

The external tool that I use allows a password in the assessment on that end. I'm still playing with how/if that works, but it's another option.

[christinaballar]

I have students submit a "preparation log" for certain assignments with questions about how they practiced and affirmations that their submission will meet the requirements and they did not plagiarize, etc. I use Microsoft Forms for that and once they complete the log, the acknowledgment of submission page provides a code they need to use to access the "ungraded survey" - a quiz in Canvas. There are no questions or points associated with the quiz, it provides them the link the need to upload the video assignment. They get points for submitting the form, but not based on how they answer. I also have to go to Microsoft forms and make note of who completed the form to give them credit in Canvas.

[tcobly]

You could probably create a new module, have it force students to complete in order. And then create a quiz that has one question, the passcode, as the first thing in the module. The second item in the module would your written assignment. If you set the requirements up correctly, it would effectively stop students from getting to the written TASK until they knew the passcode

[lglen]

This is how I've been dealing with what I call my "Integrity Statement". The "Exam" module has three parts:

Part 1: a one-question assessment (I use an external too) that lists the things they have to agree to, with radio buttons for "I agree" and "I don't agree". The "right" answer is "I agree". It's worth 1 point, but not counted toward the grade, and set so that the requirement for the "task" is that they earn 1 out of 1. If they try to bypass it or they click "I disagree" they get the "You haven't completed the prerequisite" message when they try to open the Exam. 

Part 2: the exam

Part 3: a single file-upload question that was supposed to help ensure that they were doing their own work. They didn't know which one question I was going to ask to see the work for until they'd completed the exam. But if I put a time limit on that, they can't do it in time, and if I don't, I have students who "need to rewrite their work" because it's "messy" or some such; I had one not upload the work for over 60 minutes after the exam.

So (and I know I'm on a tangent now), Part 3 is not working for me, and I'm trying to decide what to do instead. Perhaps I'll start a new thread...

[christinaballar]

What about setting the file-upload as a separate quiz and they can only do that once they completed the the exam. It would require students complete in sequence a  @tcobly  suggested? You could then set a time limit on it.

[lglen]

That's what I already do though.

The Exam is in a standalone module with three tasks. They can't get to the file upload task (and hence cannot see which question I want to see their work for) until they have submitted the exam.

And the time limit on the file upload portion causes its own problems. Too long and they could just have written out what the app says the steps are in the time they're allowed; too short and they complain it wasn't long enough. My external tool lets me set a time limit and then either "kick the student out" or not. If I kick them out, several students will write and just say "sorry - couldn't do it in time". But that doesn't affect their grade. If I don't kick them out, they have to wait for me to "accept" their work. That's great if it's the exam itself, because I can then monitor how much over they went and make decisions about how many points to award. But the file upload portion doesn't count toward their grade, so it doesn't matter if they go over; their exam grade is still recorded.

[gabriel-solomon]

Dear Colleagues,

My use case is that I create in-class lab assignments in Canvas for students to do in-class. I'm teaching technology courses on-campus at a college.  I view "labs" simply as a form of an in-class assignment & they are also gradable activities.

Currently, for my "in-class" labs, a student can be absent from class and they are able to submit (upload) the in-class lab assignment.  I've seen this occur with quizzes before, which is why I use a password on any in-class quizzes.  I'd like to do the same for these in-class lab assignments.

If the lab assignment was password protected, I could simply write the passcode on the whiteboard for students -- exactly as I do for in-class quizzes in Canvas.

-Gabriel