Assignments, Discussions and Quizzes

TIMEFRAME - TIME LIMIT - EXTRA TIME

Three settings regarding time need to be considered in a Canvas quiz. These settings must be set up correctly. If quiz settings are not set up accurately, it can, e.g., have the consequence that a student's quiz closes before the time limit is up. In Canvas, there is almost no scope for adjusting time settings after the quiz starts. Experience shows, however, that various things can come up during exams, so that it proves necessary to extend an exam time for a student. In Canvas, there are two quiz systems classic quizzes and new quizzes. Below there are instructions for both.

* Note that in the Inspera test system, it is possible to extend the test time after students start taking the test. For tests that weigh the final grade, Inspera is recommended.

Quiz Timeframe
Time Limit
Extra Time

Quis timeframe decides when a student can take the quiz (answer questions). It is defined by the Available from and Until date/time. The timeframe often specifies a longer time than the time limit, e.g., to consider students with special needs, students who experience technical issues or otherwise might start the quiz later than expected. The timeframe settings are the same in both systems.

The "Available from" date/time defines when a student can start taking the quiz. It is essential to specify the Available from time as soon as a quiz is set up. If the Available from time is not set, students can open the quiz and see the questions as soon as the first question is entered into the quiz.

The "Until" date/time closes the quiz for all students, regardless of how long or short time they have spent on the quiz and regardless of students' extra time. In a quiz with a 2-hour time limit, students need to start two hours before the Until time to use their time limit fully. A student who has been given extra time, e.g., 30 min. would have to begin 2 hours and 30 minutes before the Until time. When specifying the Until time, it is crucial to consider the student with the longest extra time (students with special needs).

Example 1

The quiz time is 2 hours for the general student, but some get 30 minutes additional time. The quiz time frame needs to be a minimum of 2 hours and 30 min. By making the quiz time a bit longer than that, the teacher gives students who start the quiz a little bit too late the opportunity to make full use of their time limit. Therefore, the time frame of a quiz is often kept about five to ten minutes longer than the time limit of the student who has the most extended time limit, the longest extra time.

quiz time.png

Example 2

The student gets 2 hours to take the quiz (time limit) but can take it anywhere between 8:00 Wednesday morning (30/3) to 11:55 Thursday evening (31/3). The time limit is 2 hours, but the Available from and Until time frame covers two days. For a student to make full use of her time limit (2 hours), she must start the quiz at the latest at 09:55 the evening of 31 Mars.

quiz time example 2.png

The time limit determines how long time the student gets for the quiz, i.e., from the time the student opens the quiz (sees the questions) until he has to submit his quiz to Canvas. If a student does not submit the quiz before the time limit is up, Canvas will close his quiz and submit it automatically.

Usually, the time limit is set to be a bit shorter than the quiz timeframe.

The time limit enables a time countdown which appears when a student starts taking the quiz. If the time limit is not set, the countdown will not appear in the quiz.

The time limit should be based on the general student (not a student with special needs).

Classic Quizzes

In a classic quiz, you specify the time limit on the quiz setup page (quiz edit).

time limit classic.png

New Quizzes

In the new quiz system, you need to set up the quiz, go to build and click on the settings tab at the top of the screen. Enable the time limit by clicking on the icon (turns green) and setting the time below. Settings will be saved automatically.

time limit new.png

Additional time for students with special needs

Students with special needs or disabilities are often entitled to an extended exam time. The teacher receives information from the Student Counseling and Career Centre about the students' names and the relative extra time. The student needs to contact the Student Counselling & Career Centre. A written agreement on support should generally be available before the start of the semester and no later than [1 October for the autumn semester and 1 March for the spring semester.]

PLEASE NOTE!
The time frame defined by "Available from" time and "Until" needs to consider the student with the longest extra time.
The Inspera exam system automatically retrieves information about the student's additional exam time from Ugla, so the teacher does not have to consider this in Inspera exams.

Reglur um sértæk úrræði í námi

Classic Quizzes

Before setting extra time for specific students, it is necessary to publish the quiz.

To give a student extra time in a classic quiz, do the following:

1. Open the quiz.
2. Click Moderate this quiz (right side).
3. Click on the pencil icon adjacent to the student's name.
4. Enter the extra time in the Extra time on every attempt box (note not the total time).
5. Save.

New Quizzes

The new quiz system offers more than one way to give students extra time. You can specify an additional time for a student in all quizzes or give extra time for a specific quiz.

Relative extra time for a student in all quizzes of the course

The relative extra time is specified in one quiz, but the setting applies to all quizzes that have been created in the course or will be created from then on.

1. Go to Quizzes in the course menu on the left.
2. Find any quiz of the new type, go to its three-dots menu on the right and click on Build. Although you go here to a specific quiz, the setting will apply to all quizzes of the new quiz type.
3. Click Moderate at the top of the screen.
4. Click the pencil icon adjacent to the student's name.
5. In the window that opens (see image below), you can select one of three options:
  Give additional time - Here, the student is given the same extra time in all quizzes, e.g., 15 minutes extra in each quiz. This setting would be appropriate if all quizzes were of the same length.
  Remove time limit (unlimited) - To give a student unlimited time. Note that the setting is subject to the quiz timeframe being unlimited, i.e., none Until time defined.
  Time limit multiplier - With this option, you can define, for example, 25% extra time in all quizzes for a student. Canvas will then calculate the extra time in each quiz based on the quiz time limit.
  Enter a numeric value (multiplier) to multiply by the general quiz time limit. The numerical value of 1.25 would give a student 25% longer exam time in all quizzes (note only the new quiz system).

Additional time in a single quiz

Note that the options you choose here apply only to the quiz you open.

1. Go to Quizzes in the course menu on the left.
2. Find the quiz, go to its three-dots menu on the right and click on Build.
3. Click Moderate at the top of the screen.
4. Click the Moderate button on the far right, adjacent to the student's name.
5. In the window that opens, select Give additional time and set the extra time. You also have the option to give the student an additional attempt to take the quiz, for example, in case of a technical problem that invalidated the previous quiz attempt or to remove the time limit. Please note that students' additional time is always subject to the quiz timeframe, e.g., the Until time needs to allow for the extra time.
6. Close the window. Settings are saved automatically.