12 Exam Platform Feature Comparison
Quick links to Exam Resource Webpages
- Alternatives to Timed Online Exams (“Take-home” exams/assignments or oral exams)
- Designing Online Exams: choosing a platform, question types, etc.
- Exam platform feature comparison (you are here)
- Deployment of Online Exams: technical considerations before and during the exam.
- Academic Integrity considerations
- Handwritten Responses
- Exam Accommodations
- Canvas FAQs & Lessons Learned from Online Exams
Note: For all the tools listed below: if used in a large enrollment course, it is recommended to stagger exam start times to mitigate potential load issues.
Gradescope/Crowdmark Mitigation Strategies for Exams
- If possible, consider creating a “practice exam” with similar format and requirements for students to complete beforehand.
- For any course with more than 150 students, use a staggering approach when implementing exams in GradeScope/Crowdmark. The staggering intervals should be at least 5 minutes apart.
- Have a back-up plan (an alternative technology) in place with the exams configured and set to switch over to, in the event of major server failure.
- Notify Skylight LT in advance that you will be using Gradescope/Crowdmark for your exam to coordinate support and communication.
PLATFORM | CANVAS | GRADESCOPE | CROWDMARK | ||
ASSESSMENT TYPE | (Classic) Quiz | Assignment
(file upload) |
Exam/Quiz | Homework/Problem Set | Assigned Assessment |
INSTRUCTOR | |||||
Set-up & Access | Log into Canvas and click into your Canvas course to create a new (Classic) Quiz. |
Log into Canvas and click into your Canvas course to create a new Assignment. Make sure the submission type is set to file upload. |
Submit a request form to the LT Hub to request for a Gradescope course.Once set-up, you can access Gradescope from your Canvas course. |
Submit a request form to the LT Hub to request for a Gradescope course.Once set-up, you can access Gradescope from your Canvas course. |
Submit a request form to the LT Hub to request for a Crowdmark course.Once set-up, sign in at https://app.crowdmark.com/sign-in/ubc. |
Assessment creation & delivery | Instructor creates a quiz on Canvas and adds questions to the quiz.
Instructor publishes the quiz and students will access it within Canvas. *Extra time or additional attempts can be granted to students with accommodations. |
Instructor creates an assignment in Canvas with the submission type set as “file upload”.
Instructor publishes the assignment and students will access it within Canvas. |
Instructor creates a question template which students will print and write answers in a designated space or annotate on the document using their device (similar to filling out a worksheet).
Instructor needs to distribute the assessment to students outside of Gradescope (e.g. post on Canvas or email) |
Instructor lists out all the questions on a document.
Instructor needs to distribute the assessment questions to students outside of Gradescope (e.g. post on Canvas or email) |
Instructor creates the assessment questions in Crowdmark. The questions can be typed directly, embedded as images/PDF or a combination of both.
Crowdmark sends an assignment link to students via email. |
Question type(s) | Multiple choice, fill in the blanks, fill in multiple blanks, numeric answer, true/false, matching, multiple answers, multiple dropdown, formula, essay, file upload question | Can include any question type which students can answer on paper or annotate on the document using their device. | Can include any question type which students can answer on paper or annotate on the document using their device. | Can include any question type which students can answer on paper or annotate on the document using their device. | Can include any question type which students can answer on own paper |
Grading |
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Providing feedback |
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Managing Student Submissions |
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Statistics/Results |
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Key Constraints |
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STUDENT | |||||
Print assessment | No | No | Yes
(or annotate directly on the document using your device) |
No | No |
Submission process | Select or fill in their answers within the quiz on Canvas. | Write answers on paper (i.e. for math or chemistry equations) or type answers in a word doc (i.e. research paper). Upload file(s) to Canvas.
Students can re-submit up until the end date. |
Print the assessment and write answers on the template or complete it online by annotating the template. Upload PDF to Gradescope.Students can re-submit up until the due date. |
Complete the assessment on paper or on the computer in a word doc. Upload PDF or image of answer to Gradescope. In Gradescope, identify answers for each question.
Students can re-submit up until the due date. |
Complete the assessment on paper or on the computer in a word doc. Upload PDF or image to Crowdmark, one response per question.
Students can re-submit up until the due date. |
Submission file type and size limits |
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ASSESSMENT TYPE | (Classic) Quiz | Assignment
(file upload) |
Exam/Quiz | Homework/Problem Set | Assigned Assessment |
PLATFORM | CANVAS | GRADESCOPE | CROWDMARK |