Quizzes: Prevent Cheating by Limiting Access to Quiz Only

[twaite]

When a student is taking a password protected quiz, the student should not be allowed to browse other areas of Canvas. For example, the student may log in to Canvas on another tab or another electronic device (deliberate cheating). When the student logs in at the same time he/she is taking the password protected quiz, the additional logon should automatically route the student to the quiz only.

🔎 This idea has been archived. While this idea isn't open for comments, it is an important part of Instructure’s idea conversations and development process. Contributions like this are valuable as Instructure prioritizes work on new or existing features.

[Steven_S]

Agreed. Letting students open multiple attempts is a problem, especially if a quiz uses view one question at a time. Not only does it allow cheating that restriction despite LTIs like lockdown browser, but students also end up losing track of which attempt is the recorded one.  They lose most of their responses, and report it as an error in canvas.  When we research it with canvas support, the fact that they had multiple attempts open is revealed as the answer.  The cheating gets caught, but it would be better to prevent it altogether.

[erica_hill]

Hi Tim and Steven,

We have experienced this as well.  We would also like Canvas to limit the ability for students to be logged into a quiz on two different devices at the same time.

We have had several situations where two students were logged in to Canvas under the same account and wrote the same quiz.  Both students wrote the exam (without any indication that someone else was logged in as them as well).  One student completely lost their exam. This was for two final exams, which can be a huge impact on a student’s grade. 

Even if there was a warning to the student (e.g. this quiz is already in progress by user) and the teacher (e.g. there are currently two attempts in progress on this quiz) would be a perfect indicator that 1) a student was logged in under the wrong account or 2) one student is logged in on two devices.

Erica Hill, UBC Sauder School of Business

[BeccaBestul]

When students are taking a quiz, there should be a way to prevent them from accessing other Canvas materials while taking the quiz. Right now, all they have to do is open another tab to access anything in Canvas (including materials from my class that would help them on the quiz.) I can't use my school's system to block Canvas because they need it to take the quiz.

[KristinL]

Thank you everyone for contributing to this idea! We acknowledge that this has been a long-standing thread in the Community, but because Intructure’s product teams are no longer developing new functionality for Classic Quizzes, which is scheduled to be deprecated 2024, we are archiving this idea. We hope that you continue to participate in the Community’s Idea Process!

The resources in the New Quizzes User Group should help you get started with using New Quizzes in your courses. If you don't see the ability to enable New Quizzes in the settings area of one of your courses, please reach out to your local Canvas admin for information about its availability at your school.