Copying a Quiz Linked to a Question Bank

[jbielecki]

I'm afraid I'm really confused about question banks. What confuses me is where they are located. For example, if I have a quiz that pulls from a question bank in one course and I copy that entire course, does the question bank also automatically get copied, or is the copied quiz now linked to the original course's question bank? From my experience, I suspect that each course ends up with its own bank.

What I want is to have ONE question bank (in my sandbox course) that different courses' quizzes pull from, but I don't want to have to re-create each quiz. Can I do this by copying everything in a course EXCEPT the question bank? I'm afraid that if I do that, the copied quiz -- rather than being linked to the bank in the original/sandbox course -- will no longer be linked to any bank. 

P.S. I think the problem may be that my institution doesn't offer the ability to do "sections" within a course. 

P.P.S. I don't know if I'm using old or "New Quizzes." I think it's still the old version, but how can I tell?

[langlangcat · Accepted solution]

If you are using Classic quizzes, yes, each question ends up with its own bank. any editing or addition/deletion in the question banks of the copied version will only affect the copied version.

If you are using New Quiz item banks, all the item banks are saved under your user account rather than course-specific locations, each item bank does stay as one bank, you should able to pull questions from it to create quizzes for different courses. 

[NelsonGomez]

Thank you for responding to the original question on this topic. I have a similar question. I did not copy the entire course as the original question. I'm only copying the Exam/Quiz that is linked to test bank groups I created. by importing specific item from one course to another. When I copied the exam, the Test Bank groups did not transfer over. I'm wondering if only one version of the random pick of questions transferred over, or will it remain linked to original and continue pulling random pick for every new test just as before?

I went ahead and imported the Test Bank Groups to the new course but I'm not clear if I even have to or if its even linked to the one imported at all?

Note: I am using classic test. 

Thank you,

Nelson

[langlangcat]

Generally, in a Classic Quiz setting,  the question banks in the source course will not be copied over when you import quizzes to the destination course. 

There are two scenarios though:

Scenario No.1: this is what most people do,  in the source course's quizzes, you just linked to the question banks with a question group and picked a number of questions. (see 1.png)

Scenario No.2: in the source course, you created a question group in a quiz, then put all the questions from the question bank into that question group, (you see all the detailed questions listed in the question group) then you had the system randomly pick up a number of questions. ( see 2.png)

For scenario 1, you need to create a new quiz in the source course, add all the questions from the needed question bank, then export this quiz. The system will save it as a QTI zip, then you can import this QTI zip to your destination course as a question bank. 

For Scenario 2, the question group will be copied over when you import the quiz to the destination course, though it is cumbersome to list all the question bank questions in the group.

Hope this helps.

[jbielecki]

I think I have scenario #1, but I don't understand what you mean by "create a new quiz in the source course." Isn't that what my existing quizzes are? I have sixteen quizzes and 48 banks, so I don't want to have to create 16-48 new quizzes, export, and import them all. Plus, would I have to do this for each of my five courses individually? I'm hoping I can just copy the course with the banks. Is that impossible?

[langlangcat]

Sorry, by creating a "new quiz", I meant to create a new classic quiz.

This new classic quiz is actually a placeholder for you to import all the questions in your question banks. With this new classic quiz, you can export it as QTI, so that you can import it to the destination course as question banks, these QTI can stay as Classic question banks or be used as New Quiz question bank format (called item banks), then you can build your classic quiz or new quiz with the question bank or item banks you just imported in your destination course. Hope this makes sense. 

You have 48 question banks; then you need to create 48 classic quizzes (shells) with all the questions in them, export them as QTI files, then use them as question banks or convert them into 48 item banks by importing. Afterward, you can build any number of new quizzes in any destination course with these 48 banks. 

[jbielecki]

Thank you so much for your response, but I'm not sure I'm understanding. It sounds really overwhelming. Essentially, what I want is to have quizzes in all five of my courses that link to a single set of banks, so if I need to update, add, or delete a question, I can do it just once, not five times. 

I don't know what a QTI is. Is that when I "Export Course Content" in "Settings"? (I usually just "Import Course Content" in my new courses by copying an existing course, not exporting and importing.) I've never exported a course or banks to save outside of Canvas, but if I do and then I need to update, add, or delete a question, I'd need to reexport before the next semester, right?

By "then use them as question banks or convert them into 48 item banks by importing," it sounds as if you are explaining how to export my current question banks and then create a set of question banks in each of my five courses based on those exports. If I do that, though, won't each of the five courses have its own banks, so if I need to update, add, or delete a question, I will have to do it five times, not just once?

I'm so confused!

[langlangcat]

Thank you so much for your response, but I'm not sure I'm understanding. It sounds really overwhelming. Essentially, what I want is to have quizzes in all five of my courses that link to a single set of banks, so if I need to update, add, or delete a question, I can do it just once, not five times.

In order to do so, you need to convert your classical question banks into New Quiz item banks. 

I don't know what a QTI is. Is that when I "Export Course Content" in "Settings"? (I usually just "Import Course Content" in my new courses by copying an existing course, not exporting and importing.) I've never exported a course or banks to save outside of Canvas, but if I do and then I need to update, add, or delete a question, I'd need to reexport before the next semester, right?

What you are going to do is different from exporting course content. You need to export a classic quiz with all the questions selected. when this quiz is exported, the system will save it in QTI zip format which you can import to New Quiz Item Banks. I know it is complicated but doable. Follow the instructions here: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Canvas-Question-Forum/Exporting-Question-Banks/td-p/192299 

By "then use them as question banks or convert them into 48 item banks by importing," it sounds as if you are explaining how to export my current question banks and then create a set of question banks in each of my five courses based on those exports. If I do that, though, won't each of the five courses have its own banks, so if I need to update, add, or delete a question, I will have to do it five times, not just once?

No, in New quiz, the item bank resides under your personal account, it is not course based. That is to say, any updates you made in the item bank, they will be reflected in the linked courses. 

I'm so confused!

[Chris_Hofer]

Hi @jbielecki ...

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@jbielecki wrote:

P.P.S. I don't know if I'm using old or "New Quizzes." I think it's still the old version, but how can I tell?

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Here are a couple tutorials for you that help to identify if you are using Classic Quizzes or New Quizzes:

• Quizzes Overview (Instructors) - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)
• New Quizzes Overview (Instructors) - Instructure Community (canvaslms.com)

Hope this helps a bit!