Success Stories

Why did you choose to use Perusall?

I choose Perusall to get my students to read the material.

What are your favorite features of Perusall?

I love (a) how it allows instructors to see how much material students are reading, how long they are spending on the material, and what topics students are confused about; and (b) that Perusall is self-grading.

What are you seeing as a result of using Perusall?

It makes students think about and discuss the material in a way not possible in a class due to time constraints. Students (most of them) really, really, like it. Although I began using it before the pivot to online learning, now that we are online, students feel like more of a part of a real class.

How has this changed your course? Was there a particular problem with your course and if so, did using Perusall provide a solution?

The biggest problem I’ve had over the years is the question of how to get students to read the material and not depend on lectures alone to provide the course material. Thus far, I have found higher grades overall for students using Perusall simply because they are reading and discussing the material.

Has it changed how you teach your course?

It has been wonderful considering the pandemic. All my courses are now online. I put prompts in the course as “conversations”. These pose questions for students that force them to apply the content to their own lives. I also go into each course and spend 4-5 hours per week reading posts and answering questions. Students see me in the course as an active member who is listening to their questions and providing answers.