Blackboard to Canvas: imported questions (by type)
This page provides information about how Blackboard tests import into Canvas as quizzes. Please see below to refer to the table about Blackboard question types and how they move into Canvas to learn about known issues.
Canvas Quizzes
Canvas offers two styles of test assessment, classic quizzes and new quizzes. Your Blackboard tests will import into Canvas as classic quizzes. Should you wish to convert the 'classic' quiz style into a 'new' quiz style in order to use the additional question types or options associated with new quizzes (or simply because you prefer the interface), you can do so.
| Question Type | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Multiple Choice | What colour is the sky? a. red b. blue c.green |
These import well. Occasionally, if accompanied by an image, the image sometimes does not come across and may need to be added in manually and/or if the question is located in the 'Question Title' area it may not appear. Note: this is true for all question types. |
| Multiple Answer | What colour could the sky be? a. orange b. blue c. grey d. green |
Multiple answer questions import well - it is worth checking to see that you are satisfied with the point breakdown (e.g. if a student must select all to receive the points, or if you are using partial credit). Note: you may see an alert suggesting there is no partial credit in Classic Quizzes. This is proven not to be the case - there is partial credit by default. |
| Matching | Match the animal to the sound it makes: 1. dog a. neigh 2. cat b. meow 3. horse c. bray 4. donkey d. bark |
These import well to Classic Quizzes. It may not appear as though there is partial credit in Classic Quizzes, but when deploying and testing, it is clear that partial credit is the default setting. When importing as a New Quiz, you will often see html at the beginning and end of each matching item. You have to manually delete that extra text. Partial credit is available in this quiz type as well. |
| Jumbled Sentence | *See 'fill in multiple blanks' - the question type is the same as 'fill in multiple blanks' - except instead of typing in the answer, there is a dropdown of answer choices | Jumbled sentences import as 'multiple dropdown' in Canvas. An error occurs occasionally in which the question type is not identified successfully as 'multiple dropdown.' You can click 'edit' and select this option. However, you will have to copy and paste all the answer choices back in (and do so multiple times, one for each 'dropdown' in the sentence(s). |
| Ordering | Put the following in order of least to most expensive: a) strawberries b) pears c) lemons d) cherries |
This question type is only available in New Quizzes. When brought into Classic Quizzes, it will be converted to 'matching' question ( e.g. 1, 2, 3 matched against the relevant items). If you want to retain the question as a 'ordering' question, you will need to use New Quizzes. |
| Essay | Respond to the following case scenario by writing a paragraph explaining what tests you would run and how you would interact with the patient: [text response written in text editor] |
Canvas hosts 'essay' questions in both new and classic quizzes. You can explore additional options, like allowing a spell check, word count or word limit. |
| Calculated Formula |
An instructor created this question: If a small glass can hold [x] ounces of water, and a large glass can hold [y] ounces of water, what is the total number of ounces in 4 large and 3 small glasses of water? When a student views the question, the variables [x] and [y] are replaced with values that are generated randomly from number ranges that the instructor specifies. |
These generally import well, but review to ensure the range of the variables matches your question from Blackboard. |
| Calculated Numeric |
If the average human body temperature under normal conditions ranges between 36.5 and 37.5 degrees Celsius, what is the average human body temperature in degrees Fahrenheit? *Notes: You can specify an exact numeric answer, or you can specify an answer and an allowable range. Calculated Numeric questions are graded automatically. |
Known issue with New Quizzes as relates to mathematical notation - rounds answer down to 0 instead of retaining mathematical notation form. |
| Either/Or | Which of the following is part of the colour branding for University of Galway? | Imports as 'multiple choice' question. |
| Fill in the Blank |
_______ is the silicate mineral with the lowest melting temperature and the greatest resistance to weathering. |
Fill in the blank appears external to the sentence in 'classic quizzes' and inside the sentence in 'new quizzes'. Review Canvas options on 'exact match' vs 'close equivalent' as there is greater control and range than in Blackboard. |
| Fill in Multiple Blanks | Single water molecules are held together by _______ bond, and multiple water molecules are held together by _______ bonds. The kind of bond where atoms are sharing electrons but are not sharing them equally is called _______. | See 'fill in the blank' |
| Hot Spot | Click on the apple in the image below. [an image including various types of fruit would appear]. |
This is only available in New Quizzes. These questions will be lost when brought in as Classic Quizzes. |
| Opinion Scale/Likert | How concerned are you about the polar ice caps melting? 1) Strongly concerned 2) Concerned 3) Neither concerned nor unconcerned 4) Unconcerned 5)Strongly unconcerned |
These are most commonly seen in module evaluations. You may see that they import in with 'errors' - the error is 'no correct answer given'. This is because it is a survey, rather than a quiz. Use 'classic quizzes' and select the option 'survey' to use in the same style as Blackboard evaluations. These import as multiple choice questions. |
| Short Answer |
Respond (in 6 rows of text or less) in the text editor to the following question: What do you ..... [Student response is typed in text editor] |
See 'essay' |
| True/False | True or False: Summer begins in May in Ireland. | No known problems. |
| File Response | *See 'essay' - except, instead of submitting a response via a file they upload instead of the text editor. This is sometimes used for certificates or other documents in addition to text documents. |
No known problems. |
| Quiz Bowl |
[Answer the following statement with a question and use a question mark] The conversion of sediment to rock. Correct response: What is lithification? |
No equivalent - use 'short answer' and instruct students to answer in this way if you wish. |
The following table presents a comparison of the two tools. Although it's likely that many will choose to exclusively use one style over the other, please note that it is possible to use Classic Quizzes for one purpose and New Quizzes for another. At this point, Canvas is supporting both tools.
For instance, you may prefer New Quizzes due to hot spot questions for one particular assessment, but your others do not use this question type and the rest will use Classic Quizzes because you value the immediate data analytics and quiz log audit feature. Others may exclusively use New Quizzes due to the ability to print a blank test (and one with the answers).
| Classic Quizzes | New Quizzes |
|---|---|
Quiz types:
|
Graded quiz only However, you can tick on ‘do not count toward final grade’ to use as a practice quiz and/or assign 0 points |
Question types:
|
Question types:
|
| Can export (content and files) | Cannot export |
| Can convert to New Quiz | Cannot convert from New Quiz to Classic |
| Cannot duplicate | Duplicate the quiz quickly/easily |
| Data analytics available immediately after students begin submitting | Data analytics available 24-48 hours after test ends |
| Compatible with lockdown browsers | Compatible with lockdown browsers |
| No 'print' feature | Print blank quiz / Print quiz with answers / print as sample answer key feature |
| Shuffle answers only (use question groups to shuffle questions) | Shuffle Questions and answers to questions |
| Quiz log audit – shows when a student has clicked away from Canvas | Quiz log audit – shows less information than Classic quiz, does not show when student clicks away |
| Download CSV of questions and student responses | No CSV available |
Outcomes Alignments
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Outcomes Alignments
|
You may see a warning on Classic Quiz ‘multiple answer’ questions that students must select all correct answers to receive credit, but in testing, it shows that partial credit is automatically assigned to these and to matching questions.