There are other uses for Canvas quizzes in your course that are sometimes more effective at assessing students and increasing student learning than a traditional test or quiz.

Surveys - Use surveys to ask students about their background knowledge on a topic, their opinions, their level of experience, or their attitudes. Some of this type of information is often easier to feel out in a face-to-face course via informal interaction. Get to know your online students and get their feedback by providing a survey.

Practice Quizzes - If you'd like students to zero in on the content you feel is most important, provide practice quizzes in the course. Make the quizzes low-stakes and allow them to have multiple attempts. Practice like this helps students to know what the most important information is from a lesson, ensuring they effectively study prior to a test. It also allows you to see where students are struggling so extra instruction can be provided.

Pre- or Post-Tests - Give students a pre-test at the start of class or a lesson to see where they stand with the content. The same exact test can be administered toward the end of the course or lesson as a post-test to see how students may have improved.

Knowledge Checks - Are students completing their readings? Are they understanding what they are reading? Administer a quiz as a knowledge-check to ensure they are reading and understanding the text.