Effortless Quiz Creation: Free Tool by Lawrence S. Ting School to Enhance Canvas LMS

[thienhb]

Introduction

Creating quizzes in Canvas LMS can sometimes be time-consuming, especially when dealing with large question banks. At Lawrence S. Ting School (LSTS), we’ve developed the first-ever free tool to convert DOCX files to QTI format. This groundbreaking tool supports various question types, including those with images, tables, and equations, and can even generate item banks from groups of questions. Empowering teachers to focus more on teaching and less on administrative tasks, this blog outlines how the tool works and how you can start using it today.

1. What the Tool Does The LSTS DOCX-to-QTI Converter transforms questions prepared in a simple DOCX file into a QTI file, which can be directly imported into Canvas LMS. It supports:

• Multiple-choice, true/false, and other question types.

• Questions with embedded images, tables, and equations.

• Creation of item banks by organizing questions into groups in the DOCX file. This tool eliminates the need for manual question input, significantly reducing preparation time.

2. How to Use the Tool Using the DOCX-to-QTI Converter is straightforward:

• Step 1: Prepare Your DOCX File: (using this template or attached file)

  • Use the Numbered List Paragraph Style for questions (e.g., 1.).

  • Use the List Paragraph Style for multiple-choice answers, marked alphabetically (e.g., a), b)). Mark the correct answer with an exclamation mark !.

  • Include images, tables, or equations directly within the DOCX file as part of the questions or answers.

  • Example:

    1. What is 2+2?
       a) 3
       b) !4
       c) 5

• Step 2: Convert the File:

  • Upload your DOCX file to the tool at https://utility.lsts.edu.vn/convert-quiz.

  • The tool will generate a QTI file ready for Canvas LMS.

• Step 3: Import to Canvas LMS:

  • Navigate to Settings > Import Course Content.

  • Select QTI .zip file as the content type and upload the file.

  • Import it into a quiz bank or as a new quiz.

3. Why It Matters This tool is a game-changer for teachers. By automating the conversion process, it:

• Saves hours of manual work.

• Ensures consistent formatting and accuracy.

• Supports advanced question formats, such as those with visuals and equations.

• Allows for quick creation of item banks to streamline future assessments.

• Frees up teachers to focus on designing effective assessments and engaging with students.

Conclusion At LSTS, we are committed to sharing tools and practices that enhance teaching and learning experiences. The DOCX-to-QTI Converter is one such innovation, created to support educators everywhere.

Try the tool today and let us know how it works for you! Share your feedback or ask questions in the comments below.

[ProfessorBeyrer]

Thank you @thienhb and the team at LSTS for creating this! My semester begins in a couple of weeks so the timing is great.

[ProfessorBeyrer]

Thank you @thienhb and LSTS for sharing this tool. I am writing to share my experience with using it today. I focused on multiple choice questions and created a quiz with a group (choose four out of seven) and added another question with an image.

It worked even better than promised! I made a couple of typos that prevented my file from being processed, and the error message that appeared helped me correct those easily. I also did not number my questions consecutively, nor did I use Word's number formatting. It was easier for me to type the questions and answers on separate lines (with the proper punctuation), and I am glad I do not have to worry about formatting each of those items.

Even better, I was able to import the QTI file your tool created directly into a New Quiz with an Item Bank created from the group. That makes using this tool with New Quizzes just as easy as it is with Classic Quizzes. 😀

Since I included an image, I also looked at the alt text inside of Canvas once it was added. I see that the image is marked as decorative, which means that I have to update the alt text before I can use it in my classes. I am nevertheless grateful that images embedded in the Word document are included, which will make the faculty I work with very happy. Including images with quiz uploads has been a challenge.

I hope that other members of the community find your creation and share their experiences too.

[GideonWilliams]

This is fabulous stuff and offers so many additional features. Thank you so much for sharing so freely!

Ive tried to write a prompt in a GenAI tool to see if I can replicate the template you made.

This would allow me to come up with spot quiz very quickly.

Having mixed success. I can get the numbers to be recognised as ordered number lists (so have the -> formatting symbol in Word)

I've then spent the next 5 hours trying to do the same with the a) b) c) and d) elements.

Not having any luck.

Nearest I got was having them as non-breaking spaces but the QTI template wont accept it.

Might you have any ideas of how to achieve this? Might it be possible for the a) b) c) d) setting to be recognised in a different way?

Any help gratefully appreciated and once again, thanks for such a marvellous post

Gideon

[thienhb]

Dear @GideonWilliams,

I totally understand the issue you're encountering, and I've faced something similar before. To solve it, I found that the key is to ensure each answer is on its own line. Here's the solution that worked for me:

1. After each answer, press Enter to break it onto a new line.
2. Then, apply the Numbering format to each line (A), B), C), D) or a), b), c), d)).

The AI tool often generates the answers in a single paragraph format, which makes it look like they’re on separate lines, but to make sure they’re properly formatted for QTI, you need to add the line breaks manually by pressing Enter.

I hope this helps, and I’m glad the tool is working well for you overall!

Best regards,

[GideonWilliams]

Thank you so much - it worked a treat. I will sort out a blog post about what I have done and link to yours.

Thanks for giving me the inspiration :O)

Gid

[trangntt]

Thank you @thienhb and your team for this great tool. It really helps our faculty and teaching assistants in quiz creation. 

Just want to suggest an idea that it will be perfect if we can add General Feedback for all of the answer choices or Specific Feedback for each answer. 

I have shared this tool to our colleagues. Thank you all. 

[thienhb]

Thank you @trangntt 

You can see feedback examples in question 9 of the template: