Engaging students in reading for their courses is an ongoing challenge. Perusall is a social annotation program which can help increase that engagement and accountability.
Availability
Perusall is available through any web browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc). It is initially accessed through the Blackboard Course Site and then can be opened through the Perusall website. (You must be signed into your University account in the same browser.)
How it Works
Perusall is an external tool (what’s called a LTI) which can be made available for students to use through Blackboard. It includes assignable activities which automatically report back to Blackboard’s Gradebook upon completion. These activities involve commenting on and engaging with documents, images, videos, websites, etc. Students comment on their own but also respond to each other, combining their knowledge and understanding of the material.
As the instructor, you choose what materials you want students to engage with. These materials can be your own uploaded readings or images (within copyright laws) or from the Perusall library (both paid and free options). Based on the grading scale and expectations you set, students’ scores can be automatically sent back to Blackboard or you can reserve them until you’re ready.
Need some inspiration? Check out the presentation linked below, Perusall's Blog, or their Getting Started for Instructors Guide.