New quiz points not updating

[mhartman]

In Classic quizzes, the number of points would automatically update based on the point values in the questions I added.

However, this does not seem to happen in the New Quizzes.  It stays at "zero" (the default) regardless of the actual point value of the questions that are added.  This is true even if the quiz has been published.  I can of course update the value manually, but that's a bit annoying and I will be sad if this basic feature (which had been in the older version of Quizzes) somehow doesn't work in the New and Improved Quizzes 😉 ... 

[Chris_Hofer · Accepted solution]

Good afternoon, @mhartman ...

I completely understand why this would be a bit frustrating for you...not having the total points automatically update in a quiz based on how many points each quiz question is worth.  However, I think that this Guide, How do I create an assessment using New Quizzes? - Instructure Community, may help to explain things...and why, for us, there seems to be a slight disconnect between the two.  Specifically, check out the paragraphs under the heading, "Edit Assignment Details".  Hopefully that explanation will help you.

Please let Community members know if you have any other questions about this...thanks!

[Chris_Hofer · Accepted solution]

Good afternoon, @mhartman ...

I completely understand why this would be a bit frustrating for you...not having the total points automatically update in a quiz based on how many points each quiz question is worth.  However, I think that this Guide, How do I create an assessment using New Quizzes? - Instructure Community, may help to explain things...and why, for us, there seems to be a slight disconnect between the two.  Specifically, check out the paragraphs under the heading, "Edit Assignment Details".  Hopefully that explanation will help you.

Please let Community members know if you have any other questions about this...thanks!

[PauloMerson · Accepted solution]

The disconnect between the points in quiz details and the total points calculated automatically in the Build quiz option is not a feature. It does more harm than good. It's a poor usability/Ux choice. The tutorial @Chris_Hofer mentioned says:

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For example, if you set the total points on the assignment details page to 50 and create an quiz with 10 questions each worth 1 point, the quiz has a total of 10 points but is worth 50 points when graded. If a student answers 9 questions correctly, their quiz score is 90% (9/10). However, their final score in the Gradebook will be 45/50 (90%).

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In this scenario, it's much simpler to just configure 5 points per question! 

This manual configuration of points in quiz details is confusing (for instructors looking at the two different numbers) and error prone (as it's easy to forget to manually enter the total points in details). Another aspect that makes you forget: when you create a new quiz, it asks for points. However, you haven't yet built the quiz questions. Only after you built the quiz, thinking and rethinking the number of points per question, you have the total points (automatically displayed in the Build left bar). Having forgotten twice to go back to manually enter the points in details, I created my own "create quiz guide" with a reminder in capital letters to manually update the points in quiz details after you're done building it. 

The default should not be zero; it should be the total points of your quiz. Minimally, Canvas should have a warning when you publish the quiz to say something like "You are publishing a quiz that is worth zero points, but your quiz has questions worth a total of 10 points. Are you sure you want to publish it?"

[Chris_Hofer]

Hi @PauloMerson …

If you would like to see the behavior of New Quizzes changed (for example, displaying warning messages like you describe), then you might want to consider creating a Feature Idea here in the Community so that people have a chance to review your suggestion, comment on it, and give it a star rating.  Here are some Guides for your reference:

• How do idea conversations work in the Instructure Community?
• What is the feature development process for Instructure products?
• How do I create a new idea conversation in the Instructure Community?

Hope this will help a bit.

[kevin_redding]

If Canvas is going to set the default to zero points (which I agree is a stupid way to do things), then it should have an easy way to change the number of points afterward and grade the quiz based on that.  I was new to New Quizzes and created 2 quizzes, not noticing that the # of points was set to zero.  Now that the students have taken it, I have to go back and figure out how to get them their points back.  I changed the point value for the quiz, but Canvas is not smart enough to re-evaluate their grades based on that. And I have not found anything in the guide that tells me how to deal with this issue.  Canvas needs to fix this.   

(And please don't mark an issue as "Solved" if you did not actually do anything...)

[jon_hoekstra]

Absolutely agree. Why so many layers of weirdness? If the point value of a question is actually just a weighted thing that changes with the point value of the quiz it's within, why not call it a percentage?