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Academic Technology and Instructional Design Resources

Your Partner in Thriving in Teaching with Technology

Abour Perusall

Perusall is a free “social annotation” tool that helps students engage with course material in class groups. When integrated with our LMS instructors can create reading or viewing assignments in which students create & share their own annotations and respond to each other’s comments & questions. Perusall informs instructors of the concepts that generate the most student questions & discussion, and Perusall can assist instructors score assignments quickly and efficiently. Perusall also reminds students of incomplete assignments, prompting higher rates of completion and preparedness.

Feature Highlights

  • For instructors

    • Browse the catalog of thousands of eTextbook titles from major publishers that you can adopt using Perusall.  (Students purchase Perusall eTextbooks)
    • Upload other digital materials to your Perusall course library (PDFs, websites, videos, etc.) at no cost.
    • Respond to student questions & comments about instructional material directly, in the material itself.
    • Use learner analytics to analyze student performance and algorithmic tools to help you grade & provide feedback efficiently.
    • Group students automatically, regardless of enrollment size.
    • Generate “Student Confusion Report” to identify topics that prompt the most student annotations & questions.
    • Monitor individual student engagement and progress with the materials.
    • Meet FERPA requirements.

  • For students

    • Reading course material and watching videos becomes a social experience.
    • Access all digital course materials in one place.
    • Interact with classmates, ask and answer questions through annotations.
    • Control assignment notifications (“Deadline approaching”).
    • Respond directly through email.
    • Take Notes.
    • “Upvote” your classmates’ comments and questions.
      Introduction by Perusall Co-founder

For more information, check Perusall Resources

For more information, reach out to our team: elearning@rcc.mass.edu