[ARCHIVED] Migrating LaTex formula from Classic Quiz to New Quizzes

[GideonWilliams]

When migrating a classic quiz with LaTex formulas to New Quizzes, the LaTex formulas are converted into images and are no longer editable.

When writing a LaTex syntax in the formula editor in Classic quizzes you do not need to include the surrounding \( and \) code brackets eg

If you do then it looks like this and does not produce a suitable equation

When you migrate a question with LaTex (written without the extra brackets) into New Quizzes, it becomes an image and uneditable:

When I write the LaTex syntax in New quizzes - this is what I have to write to get it accepted:

So for some reason, you have to add in an extra pair of code brackets around the LaTex for it to be read in New Quizzes but you dont in Classic Quizzes.

Do Classic quizzes and New quizzes use different equation editors?

Anyone help?

[Ron_Bowman]

@GideonWilliams 

I am just learning LaTex, so I tried it in both quizzes as you suggested.  There is definitely a difference between the two quizzes in the RCE layout and naming of tools.  I think I will stay with Classic Quizzes until next year.  That way more of the issues with New quizzes will be worked out by the early adopters - so Thanks in advance for doing that.

[James · Accepted solution]

@GideonWilliams 

There are some differences between the quiz engines.

• Both Classic Quizzes and New Quizzes use Tiny MCE as the editor.
• There is also the equation editor, which uses MathQuill (for both engines, I believe).
• When direct entry for LaTeX anywhere in Canvas was added, then yanked, then finally added back, they used MathJax as the renderer. New Quizzes uses KaTeX instead (the only place I've found in Canvas that uses it, KaTeX is considered faster than MathJax).
• When you insert in equation using Classic Quizzes, it comes through as an image. When you insert an equation with New Quizzes, it comes through as LaTeX delimited with \( \).
• Classic Quizzes supports an advanced view of the equation editor but there is no advanced editor for LaTeX in New Quizzes, it had to be done using the direct entry with delimiters \( \).

In Classic Quizzes, there is a separate advanced equation editor and it knows you're in math mode, so entering \( and \) is not necessary. In New Quizzes, there is no a

Direct entry of LaTeX using \( and \) are now available anywhere in Canvas. They recognize the \( and \) and they also recognize the existing images that were created the old way and converts them into MathJax rendered objects.

What I would suggest is entering \( and \) in the text of the question without invoking the equation editor. Then, when it gets migrated, it would carry over the \( ... \) that New Quizzes uses anyway and it should work.

I read somewhere a couple of weeks ago that using the \( \) direct-entry method in classic quizzes was causing problems on mobile devices unless there was at least one item on the page that used an equation. I have not tested that myself, but it sounds like what was being explained when the system was being developed (a side-effect of loading MathJax for existing content), but not where it ended up (available anywhere).

[GideonWilliams]

Many thanks James for that detailed response (as always) 👏. In the course of my testing, adding of the delimiters (the correct term!) was certainly one possible solution that worked -

Excuse the terminology....

I am supporting a university in its move from Blackboard to Canvas. We have used a company called K16Solutions to migrate everything from Blackboard to Canvas and in my opinion, they have done an amazing job.

K16Solutions have migrated Blackboard quizzes to Canvas Classic quizzes. Staff still have access to LaTex for the questions migrated to Canvas and can edit formulas in the Classic Quizzes formula editor.

My question was posed as it is something we will need to consider in the (not immediate) future when a decision is made to move all migrated Classic quizzes to New Quizzes. I spoke with Canvas today and it is something they have identified and part of their migration developments.