What is Perusall?
Perusall is an e-reader platform that centers student discussion around the reading of an electronic text. Instructors provide students with access to a digital text in Perusall. When students view the reading, they can add public questions and comments as annotations to the text. Discussion threads develop around places in the reading that spark student interest or generate questions for them.
- Perusall creates a social network inside course content.
- Assessment features like the Student Confusion Report provide instructors with actionable data.
- The content-agnostic platform lets instructors mix and match types of content within a single assignment.
- Interactive note-taking feature goes beyond typical highlighting, allowing students to snip the content, create a note, and quickly jump back to the content in the assignment.
- LTI integration offers single sign-on and grade sync for individual scores or the class average.
Scope and Cost
Note: If you are using this platform as part of the Open Educational Resources (OER) Initiative, please instruct students to select the $0 option.
Perusall is a whitelisted integration and is available to all UNF instructors in all courses. Faculty can create a free account with Perusall which allows them to set up courses, upload materials, and interact with students on the platform.
The cost of Perusall for students depends on how the tool is being used. Perusal can be used for free if the assigning readings are already available online (for example. web-hosted PDFs, articles, sites, or open educational resources). This said, when students sign up for Perusall, they are nevertheless prompted to purchase a platform access fee, and they can choose their own price. The fee is voluntary, and students can choose $0.
Note that free accounts will only work when the materials inside the course are also free. If a course uses a paid textbook that is integrated with Perusall (https://app.perusall.com/catalog), students will need to purchase an access code to be able to annotate the digital version of the textbook.
Canvas Integration
Perusall is installed at the institutional level in cooperation with CIRT. Both faculty and students will access Perusall as a course navigation link, and faculty will also have the ability to create Perusall assignment through the External Tool feature.
Canvas Integrations Include:
- Course roster syncs with Perusall roster.
- Allows students to annotate texts collaboratively, ask questions, and respond to other student’s comments.
- Create links to specific Perusall e-textbooks and/or other learning content.
- Create and assign Perusall assignments.
- Perusall assignments pushed to Canvas Gradebook.
Requirements
Perusall works across most browsers and devices, and it is recommended that users maintain the most up-to-date version of their preferred browser.
Caveats
CIRT strongly recommends reaching out to an instructional designer in CIRT to help set up this LTI Integration.
Support Report
The implementation of a grading system for CIRT support not only facilitates efficient resource allocation but also fosters transparency in our service delivery. By self-grading our support levels as A+, B+, and C+, we provide faculty with a transparent framework that outlines the expected level of assistance they can anticipate when reaching out for help.
A support grade of “B+” represents a strong level of assistance, with our team possessing a solid understanding of the application or integration. While not reaching the pinnacle of expertise, “B+” nevertheless indicates proficiency and competence in addressing a wide range of issues. CIRT’s internal documentation remains robust, and our team is well-equipped to troubleshoot various challenges. Although there may be instances when reaching out to the vendor becomes necessary for more complex issues, causing support delays, especially when we lack administrative access. Users of applications and/or integrations with a “B+” grade can usually expect comprehensive resolutions to their issues when such resolutions are possible.
CIRT Support Docs
Recognizing the unique needs of UNF instructors, CIRT has crafted the following support documentation, which has been designed to streamline and enhance your experience with this application and/or integration.
External Resources
To further empower UNF instructors, we provide direct links to the vendor’s support material, ensuring you have access to official resources and expert guidance. Furthermore, we curate and share external support documentation discovered online that may offer valuable insights or alternative perspectives. Our commitment is to provide you with a holistic support experience, combining our internal expertise with external resources to empower you in navigating the intricacies of this application.
Contact CIRT
For UNF faculty seeking to deepen their understanding of this application, schedule personalized training sessions, or initiate the installation process, we encourage you to reach out to the Center for Instruction and Research Technology at cirtlab@unf.edu (904-620-3927).
