Canvas is an incredible learning managements system that many schools and colleges depend on to access students remotely. The system has integrated tools that facilitate both learning and examinations procedures.
Lecturers use this system to create virtual classes and manage other functions outside the institution’s infrastructure. So, can it detect cheating? Read on to discover the answer?
What can Canvas Detect or Track?
1. Copy-Pasting
Canvas does not detect copy and pasting unless the text has a suggestion of plagiarism.
What you do is you can copy-paste and paraphrase your text well to make it unique and original.
If you copy-paste your answers from the internet, be careful about how you place them on the Canvas platform.
Alternatively, you can paste them on a different document such as MS word and paraphrase it without altering the meaning.
Institutions integrate anti-plagiarism software in Canvas to detect answers that students copy-pasted from the internet without paraphrasing.
2. Multiple Tabs
Canvas lacks mechanisms to detect if one opened new tables on a particular web browser. However, if the institution added proctoring software, it becomes easy to monitor the student’s browser activities.
When a proctoring program is active, the instructor can see the typical interactions with some websites. The lecturer can see the number of pages that different students visited. Furthermore, it will give all the statistics such as the number of times one visited a particular page.
Also, proctoring software enables a professor to know the period one took on a particular page. Other things that proctoring software helps is indicating if one downloaded some files on a particular site.
3. Reddit
Reddit is another platform on the net that can be resourceful if you engage its specific content smartly.
Canvas cannot see or tell if one is accessing Reddit on a different tab alone.
That encourages students to search for particular answers on Reddit during the quiz and of course cheat.
On the contrary, Reddit should be a no-go zone if Canvas has another proctoring software. This software can detect if one is accessing multiple tabs.
Also, there is a provision for the software to lock other tabs and allow only the canvas platform, to be active during an exam session.
4. Other Tabs
Canvas can only detect the activities that are on its tab. If you are working on other tabs, it is not possible for the professor to see what one is doing on other tabs. Students can use such a loophole to search for the answers and pass the exam.
On the other hand, the institution can reinforce its invigilation by installing proctoring software into the canvas system. For that reason, such an application will enable the professor to know if other tabs on the computer are active.
5. Split Screen
The answer can be both ‘no’ and ‘yes’ depending on the type of tools the university is using.
First, in normal circumstances, Canvas cannot detect split screens in case one is using a normal browser.
That means that canvas will not detect what one is doing beyond the current page. However, once the proctoring software is active, canvas cab detects and prevent split screen.
Proctor software is a requirement if you need much detection. That is true because the code that runs the Canvas education system does not access different pages of other origins.
6. Dual Monitors
Canvas can detect dual monitors provided one connected them from the same computer.
It is good to remember that students cheat Canvas by using multiple devices. For you to cheat, it requires that the monitors do not work from one computer.
Using a different monitor from different sources can act as an avenue to cheat and get answers to help you to pass an exam.
Besides, proctoring software can prevent any form of cheating if you use dual monitors. It is a perfect way of preventing students from entering into fraudulent activities that amount to academic dishonesty.
Such monitoring goes further to allow the professor to see your monitor in a bid to prevent any cheating practices.
Can Canvas Detect Copying a Question?
Canvas cannot detect copying a question if you are copying the text and searching it online. One can just highlight the text and search directly from the browser or paste it into an email.
However, Canvas can detect copy-pasted text if it is uploaded via SafeAssign. But if you post it via discussion posts, such text cannot be detected.
To detect any copying, the lecturer has to use other tools such as SafeAssign to determine if the copy-pasted answer has any plagiarism.
The cool thing is one can paraphrase the text to escape any incidence of plagiarism and later copy-paste it on the canvas platform.
Since plagiarism is an exam irregularity, one may face disqualification automatically.
Can Canvas Detect Two Devices?
No, it is hard for Canvas to detect two devices. For instance, if you are using a phone to cheat, place it next to your laptop for your convenience. The canvas system will only detect only the activities that will be happening on its platform.
Even if you activate the video conferencing, the camera will not capture the entire surrounding.
Precisely, the webcams will only capture the upper part of one’s body.
Using such a loophole, you can place your phone on the laptop and pretend to be typing the answers as you search them on the phone device smartly.
Can Canvas Detect what Device you are Using?
No, Canvas can only detect the activities on the platform. For example, the professor can tell if one left the tab. It is possible especially when the professor sees that your page is lacking activities.
Another sign that the page is idle is when the lecture sees that there is no cursor movement. However, for better results, the institution should embed the proctoring software into the Canvas application to improve efficiency.
Benefits of Using Canvas
Canvas is a great system that lectures use to enhance their teaching power and make education more accessible. The following owing are some of its advantages to the users:
1. Efficient
Canvas has a Gradebook that enables them to know where they stand fast. The grading of the assignments is fast and simple hence saving time.
Furthermore, it keeps the assignment integrity by offering instant feedback. Such an approach eliminates cases of lost assignment leading to unpleasant debates.
2.Automated Tasks
Students who use Canvas as a platform of learning will get reminders as to when the next assignments are due.
As such, it becomes difficult for one to miss any assignments because of such alerts. Such alerts make one prepare well before the due date.
If you are careful enough, you can study and face the exam without any panic.
3. Secure Content
Canvas stores all the materials in a secure and centralized location. Students can locate it and self-serve thereby limiting unnecessary correspondence.
In case of going for unnecessary handouts, you can upload them, thereby, reducing some of the administrative tasks.
4. Accessible
It is a great platform that makes education to be accessible remotely. It does not matter your location around the world as long as you subscribe to the institution that uses it.
Features of the Canvas Interface
Canvas has a user-friendly interface that requires minimal skills to operate. Some of its features are as follows:
- Inbox: Canvas has an inbox that works in the same way as that of an email box. This inbox is great in the keeping of the communications among the students.
- Calendar: The calendar is available to help the user to stay current about the class assignments. It becomes easy for the user to know when the assignments or exam is due.
- Discussion: There is an interactive platform that enables lecturers and students to interact in a super way. Students can use this platform to contribute to any topic at hand and benefit from various insights that come from other peers.
- Dashboard: Canvas has an excellent dashboard that summarizes any relevant information about different courses. Furthermore, this part summarizes announcements and assignments.
These features make Canvas different from other online tools. Tools like WebEx cannot detect cheating in class because they do not have such functionalities.
