Request: number of quiz questions visible to students before the exam is available

[AD20]

Not sure if this has been brought up previously, but the moment a quiz is published, students can see the number of questions on the quiz. This should not be a default. I don't want my students to know how many questions are on the exam until they open the exam.

Is there a workaround?

[Chris_Hofer · Accepted solution]

@AD20 ...

Hello!  I am not sure if there is a work-around for this.  Your question sounds like a good candidate for a Feature Idea request, however.  There is a separate space to make these kinds of requests here in the Community.  You can find that area by choosing the "Roadmap" option from the top of any page here in the Community, and then selecting the "Canvas" link under "Idea Conversations".  Here are a few more documents that I'd recommend you read through as you are forming your idea:

• How do idea conversations work in the Instructure ... - Instructure Community
• What is the feature development process for Instru... - Instructure Community
• How do I create a new idea conversation in the Ins... - Instructure Community

Hope this will be of some help to you!

[KristinL]

Hi @AD20 - Are you using Classic or New Quizzes?

[SusanNiemeyer]

I'm curious. Why is knowing the total number of questions problematic? One of the academic skills that students need to master to do well is to pace themselves when taking a quiz or exam. For example, the pacing is different if the students have to answer 5, 10, or 20 questions within a ten-minute period. As we know, some students will rush to complete the quiz quickly and make lots of mistakes. Other students will get hung up on a question or two, not make progress, and run out of time. In addition, a lot of our students struggle with test anxiety. Hiding the number of questions until they open up their quizzes will increase student anxiety.

It's helpful for students to acquaint themselves with the parameters of the quiz, including the number and type of questions, before they take it, and I encourage all of my students to do this. When students learn how to manage their time and stress level well, they will be able to focus on the content and ultimately be more successful at completing the task at hand.

Why do you want to hide the number of quiz questions? What's the purpose? How would it contribute to student learning?

[AD20]

I should perhaps clarify. In online exams I give students the information about the total number of questions and the distribution of total grade between the questions for the purpose you mention, which is to make a "pace plan" through the exam (especially since I use "no back-tracking" setting).

But I want that information available only when the exam starts, and not before. I advise the students this information will be shared when they open the quiz in the instructions box. I encourage the students to take a minute or two at the beginning of the exam to make a plan based on this information, before they start working on the problems. It is my experience that this works really well for the students who learn to take this time at the beginning of the exam

The reason I do not want the information shared before the exam is twofold:

• It is my experience that providing students with the information about the number of questions before the exam begins only amplifies their stress. This is because, inevitably, they project implications about the exam based on the number of questions, implications that are in reality completely baseless. This "probability matrix" they start to create takes up cognitive and emotional space that should be reserved for other exam-preparation activities. In general it is my experience that this is how the students make use of that information if shared before the exam is released, and it is not to make a "pace plan".
• In non-proctored exam settings, some students use this information to plan their "solution out-sourcing".

I hope that clarifies the reasons behind my request.

[AD20]

Our institution does not have New Quizzes enabled.