Contents

• Respondus Set-Up
• Importing Tests to Canvas
• Exporting Tests from Canvas

Downloading and Setting up Respondus

What is Respondus?

If you want to give a test or quiz using Canvas’s Quiz tool, typically you would have to input each question and its answer choices by hand, so that Canvas knows what is the question’s stem, what are the possible choices (for objective question types), and what the right answers are in order for the quiz to be scored.

Respondus is a tool that can help instructors take a quiz created in a Word or other text format document and import it into Canvas in a way that Canvas can understand and use to create a Quiz. Respondus can also help you turn a Canvas quiz into a Word document for printing should you or your students require a pencil-and-paper version of the test.

Respondus relies on the documents you give it being formatted in a certain way in order to be able to turn them into Canvas quizzes. Instructions for that formatting can be found in the “Importing Tests to Canvas” tab.

Installing Respondus

Respondus is Windows-only software that Pitt instructors and staff can download for free from the Pitt IT Software Download site. Log in to your Pitt Passport before accessing software.pitt.edu to ensure that you are able to view all the software available for download. You can find the installation activation password under installation instructions on that page as well.

1. Make sure Microsoft Word and other word processing programs are closed.
2. Click Download and click the Respondus4Campus.exe file download link.
3. Save the file and open it once it finishes downloading.
4. Complete the installation process by following the on-screen instructions.
5. When prompted to install the Respondus Equation Editor, click Yes.
6. Once the installation is finished, go to your computer’s programs and open Respondus.
7. When prompted to select your Learning Management System, choose Canvas and click OK.

Importing Tests from Text Documents to Canvas Using Respondus

If you plan to use Respondus you should be aware of its formatting requirements before you create/import your test document. If you bring a document that is correctly formatted, getting it uploaded into Canvas via Respondus will be quick and easy.

Use the guidelines below to format your Word or text document before uploading to Respondus. (More detailed information available in the Respondus User Guide for Canvas (PDF – 953KB).)

Formatting Multiple Choice Questions

Each question must begin with a question number, followed by a period or parentheses:

1.
2)

The question then follows the question number. There must be one space in between the question number and the question:

1. What year was the University of Pittsburgh founded?
2) What is the name of the neighborhood at the bottom of Boundary Street?

Each answer must begin with a letter and then a period:

1. What year was the University of Pittsburgh founded?
a. 1776
*b. 1787
c. 1865
d. 1923

2) What is the name of the neighborhood at the bottom of Boundary Street?
a. Junction Hollow
*b. Panther Hollow
c. The Run
d. The Lost Neighborhood

Correct answers can be indicated by an asterisk directly in front of the correct answer choice (do not place a space in between):

1. What year was the University of Pittsburgh founded?
a. 1776
b. 1787
c. 1865
d. 1923

2) What is the name of the neighborhood at the bottom of Boundary Street?
a. Junction Hollow
b. Panther Hollow
c. The Run
d. The Lost Neighborhood

Alternatively, correct answers be indicated by creating a list at the end of the document that begins with the word Answers and is formatted in this way:

Answers:
1. B
2. C

Formatting Non-Multiple Choice Questions

While Respondus is not capable of handling all question types available in the Canvas Quiz tool, it can import the following (codes in parenthesis):

• Essay (E)
• True/False
• Fill in the Blank (F)
• Matching (MT)
• Multiple Answer (MA)

For True/False questions, the formatting is similar to that used for multiple choice questions (see above). Both of the following examples are valid ways to format a true and false question.

1) Albert Michaelson determined the exact speed of light.
*a) True
b) False

1. Albert Michaelson determined the exact speed of light.
*a. T
b. F

For all question types other than multiple choice and true/false, the question must be preceded by the text Type: and then a code indicating the question type.

Type: MA
2) What is the name of the neighborhood at the bottom of Boundary Street?
a. Junction Hollow
b. The Run
*c. Panther Hollow
*d. The Lost Neighborhood

Importing Your Formatted Document into Respondus

1. Begin by opening Respondus:
   
2. Under the Start Tab, click “Import Questions”:
   
3. You will see a new window appear.
4. Select your file type in the “Type of File” dropdown menu [A].
5. Under file name Browse for you file [B]
6. Choose where to add the exam question. You are given two options
   • Append the questions to the current document. This is if you are adding questions to a currently open file Respondus.
   • Create a new document [C] (this will be most typical)
7. Name your new Respondus file.  We recommend giving the course number first as you will be developing questions for different courses. This will help you organize your exams/quizzes.
   
8. Click “Preview” to check your document’s format [D]
   • At the bottom of the dialogue box check for “no warnings”
   • If there are warnings this means there is something wrong with your test format. You will need to go back and edit your file in MS Word and reupload the document to Respondus, or edit the exam directly in Respondus using the Edit tab.
9. If no errors arise click “Finish” to save your test in Respondus [E]. Your test document has now been imported into Respondus, but not yet imported into Canvas. See below for this final series of steps.

Preview and Publish Your Test in Canvas

Once you have created or imported your questions into Respondus you can go to the Preview and Publish Tab to import your exam to your Canvas Course.

It is recommend that you first Preview the File to make sure that questions and answer choices appear as desired.

1. Click “Preview The File”. The preview dialogue box will appear
2. Use the “Prev.” and “Next” buttons to preview the exam questions

Once you’ve previewed your test, you can publish it to Canvas.

1. Go to the Preview & Publish Tab
2. Then to the left, select Publish
3. Select Publish Wizard and the Publish Wizard page appears
4. For Type of Publish – select Publish to single course.
5. If this is the first time you are connecting Respondus to Canvas:
   • In Canvas Server, select “Add New Server” in the drop down menu and then click “Next”
   • Pitt IT has already preconfigured the server settings, so choose “Yes” and then click “Next”.
   • Choose a name for the connection (this will be private to you), then enter your Pitt credentials. If you are connecting on a personal computer, click “Save my User Name and Password” so you don’t have to sign in every time. You will be directed to sign into Pitt Passport.
   • After logging in, authorize Respondus to have access to your Canvas account. Note: Disregard the message you may see that the browser does not meet minimum requirements. 
6. You are now connected to the server and will be redirected to the Publish Wizard. Click, “Next” to continue with uploading your test to Canvas.
7. Using the Publish Wizard, select:
   • Assessment type
   • Create a new or replace an existing exam (if creating a new exam, type a name for it in the text box)
8. Click Next and then select which course you wish to publish the exam to by clicking the name of the course.
9. A new window will show each step of the Publish process. Once the “Publish Completed Successfully” appears, click “Finish”.

Login to your Canvas Course, select the course you used to import the exam. Click, “Quizzes” and the exam should appear.

Note: You will need to adjust the exam settings to your preferences. This can be completed in Respondus but it is recommended to adjust settings directly in Canvas.

Exporting Tests from Canvas to a Word Document

Respondus allows you to create Word documents from exams that you export out of Canvas. The process begins in your Canvas course rather than in Respondus.

Import a Canvas Quiz into Respondus

1. In your Canvas course, go to Settings>Course Details tab, and click the Export Course Content button on the right
2. Select Quiz under Export Type
3. When the quiz list appears, select only one quiz followed by Create Export.
   
4. The export will process and then you will see a link called New Export. Click that link to download the the export file.
   
5. Open Respondus 4.0.
6. In Respondus, stay in the Start tab, select Open or Create and use the Current Personality drop-down to select IMS QTI.
7. Click Import Questions.
8. In the pop-up Import Questions box, make sure Type of File reads “QTI” [A].
9. Click the Browse button next to File name [B] and use the drop-down at the bottom right of your file explorer window to select Zipped IMS QTI package (.zip) (*.zip). Find the .zip file export you just downloaded from Canvas (it will have the name of your course and “quiz-export” in the file name).
   
10. Next to Create a new document named: [C] give the new Respondus file you’re now importing questions into a name.
11. Click Preview [D] to ensure there were  no errors in the import.
12. Click Finish [E].

Save a Quiz You Have Imported as a Word Document

You must first have imported a quiz from Canvas using the steps above.

1. In Respondus, click the Preview + Publish tab at the top of the window.
2. Click Print Options from the menu on the left.
   
3. Choose either an Exam (it will not have the correct answers indicated), an Exam with Answer Key (correct answers will be indicated either by an asterisk next to the correct answer or with a key at the end of the exam), or an Answer Key only. Click the Settings buttons for more options.
4. Click Print Preview, Save to File or Send to Printer. We recommend choosing Save to File and saving the exam as a Word document for future printing, editing, or saving for your records.