It happens all the time. An instructor assigns a reading that students are asked to complete before the next class. Shortly after the next class starts, it quickly becomes evident that few, if any, students completed the reading. The discussion stalls out and the instructor needs to quickly pivot to keep everyone on track.
Enter here, Perusall.
Perusall is a social annotation tool that transforms what can be a very passive learning experience (reading a text) to an active one where students engage directly with the text and their peers.
Take a look at the video below that provides a broad strokes view of how Perusall works.
When students engage with a Perusall activity, they’re critically analyzing the text alongside their peers. What’s more, students can receive credit for their engagement through Perusall’s automatic grading functionality. This a win-win learning exercise, students are accomplishing what they need to do to be successful in class and they are offered extra incentive to do so through the automatic credit.
Perusall also tracks rich learning analytics. The tool can identify points of confusion or areas of the course materials that are receiving extra attention from students. An instructor can take a look at an activities “confusion report,” which can help them address pressing questions during class discussions. This can correct misunderstanding before students are asked to complete high stakes assessments/assignments, as well as lead to a richer class discussion.
Think Perusall might enrich your instructional practice? You can take a look at the Office of Teaching Excellence & Innovation’s Perusall guide and reach out to your office liaison to get started. We’re happy to help!