Canvas Quiz Log Event Types

Claim: Canvas quiz logs are timelines. They are not screen recordings, but they can show actions, answer saves, and focus changes with timestamps.
EventPlain-English meaningWhy teachers care
session_startedThe attempt beganEstablishes start time
question_answeredAn answer was saved or changedShows pacing and answer order
page_blurredThe quiz page lost focusLooks like tab switching or another app
page_focusedThe quiz page regained focusDefines how long the student was away
SubmittedThe attempt endedFinal timestamp for review
Teacher view

Pattern matters

One short focus-loss entry is usually noise. Repeated long gaps can become an integrity concern.

Student view

It feels invisible

Tab switching feels like a normal browser action, but the quiz page can still detect that it lost focus.

To decode a real line, use the Canvas Quiz Log Explainer. To model a whole session, use the Canvas Event Timeline Builder.