AI tools like ChatGPT and Khanmigo’s Multiple Choice Generator can be big time savers, helping you create objective quiz questions quickly. Combined with Canvas’ import features, you can roll out your next assessment in a snap.
Read below to find out out how to turn AI generated questions (or questions you generate) into a Canvas quiz easily and get going building out options for assessment and recovery. Please note that this is a multiple step process and that there are specific formatting details that need to be checked and exact for this to work.
As is always the case when working with AI, be sure to check the outputs for accuracy and fidelity.
Getting Your Questions Formatted Correctly
In order to convert the questions into CSV file that can be converted into a QTI file, you need to get the questions formatted into a simple CSV format that matches the QTI requirements. This can be done in the chat bot by prompting as follows:
Create ten random multiple-choice, multiple response, and true/false questions worth 1 point each. The topic should be: FILL IN YOUR TOPIC/SKILL/CONCEPT HERE
Format the quiz into a table with the following format: Column A is the type of question: MC (multiple choice), MR (multiple response), and TF (true/false). Column B is not used but must be there. Column C is the point value of the questions. Column D is the question body. Column E is the correct answer. The numbers 1-5 each correspond to one of the possible answers listed in columns F-J. Use 1 to indicate a, 2 to indicate b, 3 to indicate c, 4 to indicate d, 5 to indicate e. For true/false questions, 1 is true and 0 is false. Clear any unused cells. All questions and answers must be accurate and not fabricated. Columns F-J are the possible answer choices. You can have 2 or more.
Feel free to adjust the first part of the prompt to match your content. However, be careful when adujust the paremeters set forth in the second half of the prompt. These reflect spefic requirements for correct formatting in the QTI file (e.g. – Column A has to be the question type.)
Once you’ve checked the questions for accuracy of the result copy the output. You might need to do this by highlighting the text or some chatbots have a copy button. Once you’ve got the output on your clipboard and it is ready to paste head to the nexdt step.
Create a CSV File
Next, you will need to open a new Excel file. This is where you are going to paste the output (table) you got from your AI tool. Be sure to paste in with formatting and take time to clean up the CSV by deleting the header row and any extraneous information (including comments from the AI.)
In the end you want a clean CSV with only rows of your questions (including the columns for question type, blank column, question, answer, options/distractors, etc.)
When it all looks good, choose Save As and then select CSV(comma delimited) from the Save as Type dropdown.
Upload and Convert to QTI
There are many options for converting a CSV to a QTI but this one from Kansas State is a good one that all the people I googled recommended to try:
https://canconvert.k-state.edu/qti
Once there choose upload your file and find your CSV. Click the Perform Conversion button. If there are no errors it should open a Windows File Explorer window. Choose where’d you’d like it to save the .zip file and click save.
Upload that file to Canvas
Now that you have the QTI file, head back over to Canvas, find your course, tap on Settings and then choose Import Course Content.
This will bring up the import content page where you will first need to tell Canvas what type of content you are importing. Choose QTI.zip file from the options.
In my testing, I was unable to get it convert to New Quizzes, so DON’T select that option but you can choose a question bank or have it create a new one if you want.
The final step is to choose your file (the .zip you just downloaded from the converter) and then click the Import button.
The import can take a few minutes but when it’s ready head over to Quizzes and you should see the quiz has been added.
*This post was largely inspired by the great work of Dr. Sean Nufer at How To Canvas