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Write Canvas quiz questions that read aloud clearly

DeckOwl turns your PDFs, slides or notes into multiple-choice, true/false and short answer questions with explanations. Export options depend on your plan.

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Making quiz questions readable out loud

Many students who use text-to-speech hit the same wall: a question that only makes sense on screen. Before you set up a read aloud Canvas quiz, the question text itself needs to stand alone, with no dependence on images, color or table layout.

Replace 'see the chart above' with the actual values in the question text.
Keep answer options short and parallel so a listener can compare them.
Put the question before any long passage, not after it.
Write true/false statements as one plain claim with no double negatives.

Example accessible quiz questions for read aloud review

Which change makes a question easier to follow when read aloud? A) Refer to 'the diagram above' B) State the values in the question textB. Listeners cannot see the diagram, so the values needed to answer must be in the question itself.

True or false: Alt text for a chart should describe its data, not just say 'chart.'True. Alt text that only says 'chart' gives a screen reader user no information about what the chart shows.

Why are answer options like 'all of the above' harder to follow by ear?Listeners must hold every earlier option in memory before reaching the last one, so standalone options are easier to compare.

Which answer format reads more clearly aloud: 'B and D' or the full text of each option?The full text of each option. Listeners cannot see letter labels, so spelled-out answers avoid confusion about which choices are selected.

What should a true/false statement avoid to be clear when read aloud?Double negatives, such as 'It is not untrue that...' Use one plain claim so the listener can judge it in a single pass.

Generate the full set

Questions from your own material

Upload a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, text file or photo of a page and get multiple-choice, true/false or short answer questions with explanations.

Written to stand alone

Review each question for wording that depends on a picture, a color or a diagram, and rewrite it so it still makes sense when a text-to-speech tool reads it.

Export options by plan

Plus exports PDF and DOCX for review. Pro adds QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML files for LMS import.

How it works

Upload your notes

Add a PDF, slides or a text file. Photos of printed pages are read with text recognition.

Choose question types

Pick multiple choice, true/false or short answer, and check each explanation before you use the quiz.

Study or export

Free plans study in the browser. Paid plans add exports, and Pro adds QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML.

DeckOwl does not read quizzes aloud and does not run inside Canvas. It generates questions from your own material, so you can rewrite any item that depends on a picture or diagram, then study it in the browser or export it for your course.

A practical check: read each question aloud once and make sure the answer choices are complete phrases a listener can hold in memory. Options like 'all of the above' or 'B and D' are harder to follow by ear.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I write a quiz question that works with read aloud tools?

Make the question self-contained, state any values or terms in the text, and avoid phrases like 'the image below.' Read it aloud once to catch anything that sounds confusing.

What makes a good multiple-choice question for listening?

Use one clear stem, three or four options of similar length, and one correct answer. Avoid 'all of the above' because it is hard to follow by ear.

Does DeckOwl read quizzes aloud inside Canvas?

No. DeckOwl generates multiple-choice, true/false and short answer questions with explanations from your uploaded material. QTI 2.1 export requires the Pro plan.

Which plan includes QTI export?

QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML export are included in Pro at $14.99 per month. Plus, at $39 per year or $7.99 per month, includes PDF, DOCX, Anki and CSV export.

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