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Set up a Canvas quiz from your lecture slides or notes

Upload a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, text file or photo of a page. DeckOwl drafts multiple-choice, true/false and open questions with explanations, so you spend your time on the Canvas settings instead of writing every question from scratch.

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Setting up a Canvas quiz from your own material

Most of the time spent on a Canvas quiz setup goes to writing questions, not clicking through settings. Starting from your lecture slides or reading notes means the questions match what you actually covered that week.

Draft questions from the exact slides or notes your class used.
Review every explanation before the quiz goes live.
Decide on attempts and time limits before publishing.
Check your Canvas import options before exporting a file.

Example Canvas quiz settings to review

In Canvas, which quiz setting limits how long a student has to finish?Time Limit. It sets a countdown for each attempt, so students must submit before the timer runs out.

In Canvas, what does the Allowed Attempts setting control?How many times a student may submit the quiz. Setting it to 1 gives a single graded try.

Does a Canvas quiz appear to students as soon as it is created?No. It stays hidden until you publish it, which lets you finish editing without students seeing a draft.

Which Canvas quiz option randomizes answer order for each student?Shuffle Answers. It changes the order of choices so students are less likely to copy from neighbors.

What does Show Correct Answers control in a Canvas quiz?When students can see the right answers after submitting. You set dates for this, so answers can be hidden until after a later deadline.

Generate the full set

Questions from your own material

Upload slides, readings or typed notes and get questions drawn only from that content.

Three question types

Choose multiple-choice, true/false or open questions, with an explanation for each answer.

Export options for your LMS

Export to PDF or DOCX on Plus, and to QTI 2.1 or Moodle XML on Pro, then check what your Canvas instance accepts.

How it works

Upload your material

Add a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, text file or photo of the pages you want covered in the quiz.

Pick types and review

Select question types, then edit or remove any question that does not match what you taught.

Enter the questions in Canvas

Export the set in a format you can use, or copy questions into Canvas, and then configure the quiz settings.

Once the questions are drafted, review each one against the source. Remove anything ambiguous, rewrite weak distractors in multiple-choice items, and check that every explanation points to the right section of your material.

Then configure the Canvas quiz itself: time limit, attempts, whether answers shuffle, when correct answers are shown, and when the quiz is published. Those settings decide how students experience the quiz, so set them deliberately.

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Frequently asked questions

How should I decide how many questions to put in a Canvas quiz?

Base the count on how long you want the quiz to take and how much material it covers. Shorter quizzes with clear, focused questions tend to give more useful feedback than long ones on a broad topic.

What should I check before publishing a Canvas quiz?

Confirm the time limit, number of allowed attempts, shuffle setting and the date range for showing correct answers. Preview the quiz as a student would see it before you publish it.

Does the free plan let me export questions for Canvas?

The free plan includes 3 generations per month and studying in the browser, with no exports. PDF and DOCX exports are on Plus, and QTI 2.1 and Moodle XML exports are on Pro.

Do I need a credit card to start with DeckOwl?

No. You can start without a credit card, and students get 40% off Plus with a school email.

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