Canvas - Randomized Content

Canvas uses the terminology of ‘Item Banks’ for their problem banks/content libraries, but quiz questions appear to be the only items that can be added to item banks.

When creating a quiz (as Canvas, like Moodle, uses the concept of distinct quizzes rather than having questions being simply another type of content block), course authors have the option of using either all questions from an item bank, or a random selection of those questions. They can also select individual specific questions to be part of the quiz from any bank via a browsing interface.

Staff can edit questions in item banks directly from the quiz interface. If the question has been answered anywhere, staff may only edit a copy of that question, but if it is unanswered, they can edit the original. Regardless, editing a question creates a different entry in statistical data, separating versions of that question.

When editing, items can be tagged with different categories to make discovering them in the browser easier. Tags are only used for discovery, not content selection. Users with editing access to item ganks have the option of sharing their question bank with specific users or courses, and granting either viewing or editing rights to other users. Viewing permission grants those users permission to use questions from the item bank, but not edit the questions themselves. Item banks can also be entirely individual to the creator, and not even shared with other instructors on the same course.

Canvas does not appear to have the capability to share other randomised content, only quiz questions.

Above: The item bank selector.

Above: The question selector within the item bank. Individual questions can be edited, duplicated, deleted, or selected, or “All/Random” questions can be selected from the bank.

Above: When editing a question bank question, the user is warned that only some parts of the question can be edited without accessing the question in the bank.

Above: When selecting All/Random, an interface becomes available on the quiz for the author to select how many questions are used from the source bank, as well as how many points are assigned per question.

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