How can students use subscripts and superscripts in written answers on Canvas Quizzes?

[JamesSpringer1]

I teach high school chemistry.  The inability of Canvas, in the past, to correctly write chemical formulae using subscripts to indicate numbers of atoms in a molecular formula or superscripts to indicate charges of ions breeds confusion.  Beginning students have a hard time telling the difference between coefficients, atom counts, and charges in a chemical equation.  Teachers have the ability to write questions using both super and subscripts but the students can't include subscripts in their answers.  I was recently shown that they can use superscripts now but it is still unclear if they can use subscripts.

Is there currently a way for students to correctly write chemical formulae using subscripts and superscripts?

[chriscas]

Hi @JamesSpringer1,

The answer to this depends a bit on whether you're using Classic Quizzes or New Quizzes in Canvas, and what specific question type(s) you're going to include.  Students should always be able to access superscript/subscript or the equation editor for essay-type questions, but those would need to be manually graded.  If you're going for something like a fill in the blank, I believe the answer types are only plain text (no subscript/superscript).  When you build a quiz, you can include subscript/superscript in things like a multiple choice or multiple answer question as well, but the students would just be selecting an answer rather than typing, so I don't think you meant that type of question.

Does this help at all?

-Chris

[JamesSpringer1]

I tend to use classic quizzes.  I am talking about things like short answer questions.  Example: What is the formula for chlorate ion?  Answer: ClO3-.  The 3 should be subscripted and the minus sign should be superscripted.  In chemistry, subscripts are atom counts; there are 3 oxygens.  Superscripts are charges; the charge on the ion is -1.  Without the ability to use super and subscripts in the answer, it is impossible to tell the difference between ClO3 with a minus one charge and ClO with a 3- charge.

[chriscas]

Hi @JamesSpringer1,

Yeah, definitely get that superscript/subscript is part entering and evaluating a proper answer in that case.  I think what this comes down to on the tech side is a matter of evaluating text ve code for autograding.  As @Gabriel33 showed, there are ways subscript and superscript can be created with certain fonts/characters.  They can also be created with html tags.  There is also the equation editor, which would create a 3rd variation in the way things looked behind the scenes, even though they's visually be the same.  There may even be other methods that would create even more variation...

With all that being said, It's probably unlikely that this sort of thing will be added to autograded question types any time soon, though I could always be wrong.  I think your best bet would be using essay question types, which do give students access to the full rich content editor o do superscirpt/subscript.  Youll need to grade these questions manually, but you can then verifyeverything is vusually correct and grade accordingly.

I hope this helps a bit more, even though I know it's probably not the answer you were hoping to get.

-Chris

[Gabriel33 · Accepted solution]

So, following my earlier post, you could accept ClO₃⁻, and also perhaps ClO⁻₃ (if you think the latter one is less acceptable and just worth partial credit, that would unfortunately need to be assigned manually)

[Gabriel33]

If it is for short answer questions (at least on classic quizzes), you can ask that they answer with Unicode subscripts and superscripts, such as:

⁰¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹⁺⁻₀₁₂₃₄₅₆₇₈₉₊₋

There are a few different ways to get these, for example, on Windows by holding "windows button + ." and then looking for Math symbols. But I'd recommend just pasting these in the instructions or question text, to simplify it (perhaps as a table).

I've used these also in multiple choice question options. If you'd like students to use that in essay questions, then as @chriscas mentioned, they have full access to the rich content editor.

[Gabriel33]

If it is for short answer questions (at least on classic quizzes), you can ask that they answer with Unicode subscripts and superscripts, such as:

⁰¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹⁺⁻₀₁₂₃₄₅₆₇₈₉₊₋

There are a few different ways to get these, for example, on Windows by holding "windows button + ." and then looking for Math symbols. But I'd recommend just pasting these in the instructions or question text, to simplify it (perhaps as a table).

I've used these also in multiple choice question options. If you'd like students to use that in essay questions, then as @chriscas mentioned, they have full access to the rich content editor.