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Turn your lecture notes into Canvas quiz matching questions

DeckOwl reads your PDF, slides or notes and writes quiz questions with explanations. It does not create matching items directly, so you turn its term and definition pairs into the Canvas format you need.

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How to build matching questions for a Canvas quiz

A Canvas quiz matching question works best when every prompt has exactly one defensible answer and the answer list includes a few distractors. Start with the terms and definitions your course actually tests, not every line in the reading.

Use terms and definitions from your own course material.
Add one or two extra answers as distractors.
Keep answer options short and parallel in length.
Check every pair for overlap before publishing the quiz.

Example Canvas matching quiz questions

Why should a matching question include more answer choices than prompts?Extra answers act as distractors, so students cannot pass by elimination alone.

What makes a good prompt in a matching question?Each prompt should match exactly one answer, so no two items can be paired equally well.

Should matching answers be full sentences or short terms?Short, parallel terms, because long answers of mixed length can give away the correct match.

Can a matching question test the same idea as a multiple-choice question?Yes, pairing a term with its definition tests recognition in the same way, and matching works well when several items share one answer list.

When is short answer better than matching?When students must produce a term from memory, since matching only tests recognition from a visible list.

Generate the full set

Pairs from your own material

Upload a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, plain notes or a photo of a page, and get terms and definitions drawn from that text.

Explanations for every answer

Each question includes an explanation, so you can confirm the correct pairing before the quiz goes live.

Export for Canvas

Pro exports QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML files. Plus adds PDF and DOCX exports for a printable answer key.

How it works

Upload your material

Add a PDF, slides, DOCX, plain notes or a photo of a page. No credit card is needed to start.

Generate the questions

Choose multiple choice, true/false or short answer. Check each question and explanation against your course text.

Rebuild as matching

Copy the term and definition pairs into a Canvas matching question, or export a QTI 2.1 or Moodle XML file on Pro.

Upload the chapter, lecture slides or your own notes, then ask for multiple choice or short answer questions. Each generated question includes an explanation, which helps you confirm that the correct pairing is clear and that no two definitions overlap.

Once the pairs are right, enter them as a matching item in Canvas, or export QTI 2.1 or Moodle XML on Pro and import the file into your course. Keep the wording parallel across answers so students cannot guess from length alone.

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Frequently asked questions

How many answer options should a Canvas matching question have?

Most instructors add one or two extra answers beyond the number of prompts, so students cannot finish by elimination. Keep the list short enough that students can scan it in one pass.

Can a matching question test the same content as multiple choice?

Yes. Matching is a recognition task like multiple choice, so it suits sets of related terms and definitions. Use short answer when you want students to recall the term without seeing options.

Does DeckOwl create matching questions directly?

DeckOwl generates multiple choice, true/false and short answer questions with explanations, so you rebuild the term and definition pairs as matching items in Canvas. Exporting QTI 2.1 or Moodle XML files is a Pro feature.

Is there a free plan?

Yes. The free plan includes 3 generations per month and studying in the browser, but exports are paid. Plus is $39/year or $7.99/month, and Pro is $14.99/month.

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