This article reviews common student accommodations (quiz times, attempts, and assignment due dates) and how to implement them in Canvas. 

Ball State students with disabilities can access resources and request accommodations from physical aids like the University’s shuttle service to in-class services such as note-taking. While there are a variety of accommodations for students, common aids include extending quiz time and assignment due dates on Canvas. To simplify the process for instructors, this article explains how to implement extended quiz times and due dates on Canvas.

Adding Additional Quiz Time or Attempts

Classic Quizzes

A common accommodation is extra time or attempts on tests. To assign extra time/attempts to students in Canvas, navigate first to the quiz that needs adjustment.  Next, select Moderate This Quiz.

Screenshot of a Quiz assignment page in Canvas with the "Moderate This Quiz" button highlighted.

Then, select the box to the left of the student’s name who needs the accommodation—this will ensure your changes are applied to this student. You will then click the pencil icon to the far right of the student’s name, which will open a dialog box. In this box, you will fill out the amount of extra time and/or the number of extra attempts the student receives.

Screenshot of the Student Extensions window in Canvas.

Lastly, click Save to apply your changes.

New Quizzes

Note: This approach allows you to add accommodations for multiple students at once!

If you are using New Quizzes in Canvas, inputting extra time or attempts to students’ quizzes will look different. First, navigate to the quiz your student(s) will need more time or attempts on. Next, select Build.

Screenshot of the "Assign To" window with the "Build" button highlighted.

Once in Build, select the Moderate tab at the top of the screen. This will take you to a page with a list of your students and their quiz information. The last category on this page, Accommodations, is where you will enter your student’s (or students’) accommodations.

Screenshot of the "Moderate" tab in the Canvas New Quizzes with the Accommodations column highlighted.

To enter a student’s accommodation, select the pencil icon to the right of the Accommodations category. A dialog box will then appear, allowing you to adjust the student’s quiz attempts and time settings. Once you enter this information, select Apply to save your changes.

Screenshot of "Current Quiz Accommodation" window for a student.
Screenshot of "Current Quiz Accommodation" window for a student with the "Apply" button at the bottom highlighted.

Assigning Different Due Dates

Instructors can manage different due dates for students with assignment extensions. For students with extended deadlines, assigning them their correct date is an easy way to remind them (and you) of their adjusted deadline.

To assign separate due dates for quizzes, assignments, and discussion boards, you will need to first navigate to the assignment and select Edit. Next, scroll to the bottom of the editor options and locate the Assign Access section. Click the + Assign To option to assign a separate due date to your student.

Screenshot of the "Assign To" window in Canvas with the "+ Assign To" button highlighted.

In this new assignment box, select the name of your student and adjust the Due Date, Available From date, and Available Until date to accommodate your student’s needs.

Screenshot of the "Assign To" window, with the Due Date, Available from, and Until dates set.

Lastly, click Save to apply your changes.

Conclusion

Extending due dates and adding additional quiz times/attempts are common student accommodations. This blog reviewed how to implement each accommodation, providing instructors with a quick guide to adjusting their Canvas course to meet students’ needs.

Need to add a student’s Canvas accommodation that wasn’t listed in this article? Reach out to strategiclrn@bsu.edu for further assistance.

  • Mac Clark, Division of Online and Strategic Learning

    Mac Clark joined the Division of Online and Strategic Learning in July 2024. She is interested in finding the places where interpersonal and instructional communication meet—a task leading her to research identity, inclusive pedagogy, and accessible course design. Her most formative experiences happen in the classroom, as teaching in the Communication Studies department reminds her that practice is just as important as theory. She remains a lifelong learner, with her latest ventures being HTML and CSS code.

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