Skip to main content
DELTA
Teaching Resources
Top of Page

Perusall: Interactive Reading Assignments

Perusall is a text-based social annotation/commenting/discussion tool that can help increase student engagement. This article will discuss how instructors can use Perusall to create interactive, social annotation-based reading assignments that increase student engagement, collaboration, and discussion around course texts and media.

In this article

How to get started

With Perusall, instructors provide students with a text, and students use commenting to have an asynchronous discussion about the text. Depending on instructor settings, Perusall can auto-grade student work and provide instructors with analytics about how students are engaging with the text. “Texts” in Perusall are defined as articles, chapters, webpages, videos, podcasts, and more.

  • Determine text(s) that you will want students to read or view using Perusall. Have links to the text available, or be sure the text is downloaded to your computer or saved in Google Drive.
    • Note: a “text” in Perusall includes articles, book chapters, images, podcasts, and videos
  • Decide if you will want to use Perusall with the Moodle gradebook or use it independently more as a library of texts for students to read without Perusall generating grades.
    • Note: you can still access Perusall analytics about student reading/viewing behavior without using the grading functions. Also, as an instructor, you have full control over using Perusall auto-grading or manually grading within the Perusall interface.

After initially creating your account by accessing Perusall via Moodle, you can go directly to Perusall.com and log in with your NC State Google account to manage assignments, review student comments, and, if desired, send grades back to Moodle.

Help students learn how to use Perusall well by integrating a Perusall introductory assignment and guide them in how to write quality annotations. Note: Perusall has built-in dynamic feedback for students that will give them tips as they write. This feature can be toggled on or off by instructors.

Groups in Perusall

Grouping in Perusall is a course-level setting that determines how students interact with one another within annotated content. Groups control whose comments students can see and respond to, shaping the overall discussion environment of the course. Depending on the grouping model selected, students may participate in full-class conversations or in smaller, more contained discussion communities.

Choosing a grouping structure is often one of the first instructional design decisions instructors make in Perusall, as it influences the tone, scale, and cognitive load of student interaction throughout the course.

No grouping

When No Grouping is selected, all students can see and respond to every comment posted by their classmates. This creates a fully open annotation environment that functions like a whole-class discussion layered directly onto the text.

This option works well in smaller classes where the volume of annotations remains manageable. It can also be effective for complex readings where exposure to a wide range of perspectives supports comprehension. In larger courses, instructors should consider cognitive load, as a high volume of comments can make discussions more difficult to navigate.

Fixed Grouping for All Course Material

With Fixed Grouping, one consistent set of groups applies to all assignments and content in the course. Students only see and interact with comments from members of their assigned group.

This structure supports small community building within larger courses and works well for cohort-style experiences. Because students remain in the same group for the duration of the term, they have opportunities to build rapport, establish discussion norms, and develop accountability within their group.

Assignment Based Grouping

Assignment Based Grouping allows instructors to apply different group sets at the assignment level. Within a grouped assignment, students see only comments from members of their assigned group. However, when accessing content directly through the library outside of an assignment, no grouping is applied and all comments are visible.

This model provides flexibility for rotating groups, randomized discussion groups, or activity-specific collaboration. It allows instructors to vary interaction structures without committing to one grouping model for the entire course.

Library Content Based Grouping

Library Content Based Grouping attaches group sets to specific pieces of content in the course library. Any assignment associated with that content follows the designated grouping structure. Students will only see comments from members of their assigned group for that content. This option is particularly useful when certain readings require smaller discussion spaces, differentiated engagement, or scaffolded conversation.

Once grouping structures are established, instructors can begin designing assignments that determine how students engage with course content and one another.

Creating Assignments in Perusall

Assignments are the primary way students engage with content, peers, and instructor feedback in Perusall. When creating an assignment, instructors select the content students will interact with, determine how students will participate, and configure grading settings to align with course goals. Perusall offers multiple assignment types to support collaborative reading, differentiated engagement, peer feedback, and instructor review workflows. Before creating an assignment, instructors should consider how grouping settings, deadlines, and grading templates will shape the student experience. For step-by-step instructions on building an assignment in Perusall, refer to Perusall’s documentation on creating assignments. The sections below provide an overview of the available assignment types and how grading can be customized to support different instructional strategies.

Perusall Assignment Types

Perusall offers several assignment types, each designed to support different instructional goals and interaction models. Assignments structure how students interact with content, peers, and instructor feedback. In addition to selecting content, instructors can customize grading settings to align with their learning outcomes.

The following section outlines the primary assignment types available in Perusall.

Standard Assignment

A Standard Assignment is the foundational assignment type in Perusall. In this format, the instructor selects one or more items from the course library and assigns them to students. Students engage directly with the content by annotating, commenting, replying, and participating in discussion within the document.

This assignment type is commonly used for collaborative reading, video annotation, and content discussion. It works well when the instructional goal is shared engagement with the same material.

Differentiated Assignment

A Differentiated Assignment allows instructors to assign different content to different students within the same assignment framework. During setup, instructors may assign specific library items to individual students or to defined groups.

This approach supports differentiated instruction, varied reading tracks, project-based learning, or role-based engagement.

Note: Assigning by group requires appropriate grouping to be enabled at the course level. If groups are not pre-established, instructors must select the intended group during the initial setup of the assignment in the Basics section of the editor. For step-by-step instructions on how to create a Differentiated Assignment, refer to Perusall’s documentation on Differentiated Assignments.

Peer Review Assignment

A Peer Review Assignment shifts the focus from instructor-provided content to student-generated work. Instead of annotating materials uploaded by the instructor, students submit their own documents for peer feedback.

The process typically includes a submission deadline, followed by a peer review phase during which students are assigned classmates’ submissions to review. Students provide in-text comments and may complete an attached rubric. After receiving feedback, authors may have the opportunity to respond to peer comments.

In many cases, grading emphasizes the quality and thoughtfulness of peer feedback rather than solely evaluating the original submission. Any review-based assignment will override course-level grouping structures due to the nature of these assignments.

For step-by-step instructions on how to create a Peer Review Assignment, refer to Perusall’s documentation on how Peer Review Assignments work.

Fishbowl Assignment

A Fishbowl Assignment introduces differentiated participation roles. In this model, a subset of students submit work while others serve as reviewers.

After the submission deadline, the assignment moves into a review phase where designated reviewers comment on and assess the submissions using comments and rubric criteria. The instructor may also review and score the submissions, or the process can remain student-led.

Perusall clearly indicates to students which stage of the process they are in when they open the assignment, including whether they are submitting work, reviewing peers’ work, or responding to feedback. This structure provides clarity throughout the multi-step workflow.

Once the review process is complete, students who submitted work gain access to the feedback and scores provided during the review phase.

Refer to Perusall’s documentation on Fishbowl Assignments for information on how to create and score a Fishbowl Assignment.

Instructor Review Assignment

An Instructor Review Assignment allows students to submit work directly to the instructor without peer interaction. This format is similar to a peer review workflow but removes the peer review stage.

The assignment typically includes a student submission deadline, an instructor review period, and a feedback release phase. Instructors can determine when feedback becomes visible and whether students are allowed to respond to instructor comments. This assignment type is well suited for drafts, formative assessment, or instructor-centered feedback cycles.

While assignment types determine how students interact, grading templates determine how their participation and performance are evaluated.

For instructions on how to create an Instructor Review Assignment, refer to Perusall’s documentation on Instructor Review Assignments.

Grading Templates in Perusall

Grading templates determine how student performance is calculated within each assignment type. While Perusall provides default grading components with preset percentage weights, instructors can adjust these weights to reflect what matters most in their course. Whether prioritizing deep discussion, consistent reading habits, peer feedback quality, or quiz performance, grading templates allow instructors to align assessment with instructional goals.

Templates can be created once and reused across multiple assignments, promoting consistency in grading while reducing setup time. Instructors may also adjust templates for specific activities, ensuring that expectations match the purpose of each assignment type.

Perusall includes several scoring presets that instructors can use as a starting point. These presets emphasize different engagement priorities, such as holistic participation, comment quality only, reading or watching completion, social engagement, or quizzes. Selecting a preset automatically redistributes the percentage weights across scoring components to reflect that focus. Instructors can then further customize those weights as needed.

It is important to note that grading templates often total more than 100%. This is intentional. When scoring components add up to more than 100%, students have multiple pathways to earn full credit. Although the total possible weights may exceed 100%, the final assignment grade is capped at 100%. This means students do not need to earn a perfect score in every category to receive full credit, allowing flexibility in how they demonstrate engagement.

Perusall grading template showing presets and weighted metrics totaling 170% across scoring categories.
Grading template example


Depending on the assignment type, grading templates may include the following components:

For Standard and Differentiated Assignments

  • Comment content: Measures the depth, clarity, and quality of student annotations.
  • Opening assignment: Provides credit for accessing and beginning the assignment.
  • Reading, watching, or listening to the end: Tracks whether students complete the full assigned content.
  • Active engagement time: Measures sustained interaction within the assignment rather than brief access.
  • Getting responses: Rewards comments that generate replies from classmates.
  • Upvoting: Provides credit when a student’s comments are upvoted by peers.
  • Quizzes: Incorporates scores from embedded quizzes associated with the content.

For Peer Review Assignments

  • Submission: Awards credit for submitting the required document.
  • Submitting in-text comments: Measures the quality and quantity of feedback provided on peers’ work.
  • Submitting rubric: Provides credit for completing rubric-based evaluations
  • Rubric score received: Reflects the rubric score earned from peers on the student’s own submission.
  • Authors responding to in-text comments: Rewards thoughtful responses to peer feedback.

For Fishbowl Assignments

For students submitting work:

  • Submission: Awards credit for uploading the required document.
  • Rubric score received: Reflects peer and or instructor evaluation of the submission.
  • Authors responding to in-text comments: Measures engagement with feedback during the response phase.

For students reviewing work:

  • Submitting in-text comments: Measures the depth and usefulness of feedback provided.
  • Submitting rubric: Provides credit for completing rubric assessments during review.

For Instructor Review Assignments

  • Submission: Awards credit for submitting the required document.
  • Instructor score: Represents the score assigned directly by the instructor.
  • Authors responding to in-text comments:  Measures student engagement with instructor feedback when responses are enabled.

Templates can be selected and customized during assignment setup, allowing instructors to emphasize discussion quality, completion, feedback depth, rubric performance, or other priorities aligned with their course outcomes.

Rubrics allow reviewers to evaluate student submissions and give feedback on the documents students upload. They are helpful tools in Review-Based Assignments.

Examples and Use Cases

Flipping/Blended Classes: In a face-to-face course with multiple reading assignments, include all readings in Perusall. Ask students to read and comment before class and then review their comments before your in-class discussion. Star comments as you review the work students have done so you can use those comments to launch a more thorough dive into the content when you meet face-to-face.

The Confusion Report: Integrate a difficult text (video, reading, infographic, etc.) and ask students to fill it with questions they have. Use the “confusion report” included in Perusall to quickly pull together topics to cover in more detail in course videos or in-person sessions.

Annotation Practice: Add a Perusall assignment in which the text is about annotating. Students can practice using the features while learning about good annotation practices. Check out this article about annotating texts.

Lively Student Engagement: Read the experiences of a series of Vanderbilt instructors using Perusall in various fields, including law, chemistry, and business, and check out these use cases from Yale University faculty.

Peer Review: Using “differentiated assignments” and student upload folders in Perusall can allow students to use the annotation features of Perusall to give feedback to classmates. Perusall peer review directions.

Multimedia: Perusall “texts” don’t have to just be readings. You can integrate the annotation features with video, podcast and images. Integrating multimedia in your courses can lead to more inclusive teaching practices, helping students visualize course concepts, promote deeper learning and help students engage with varied content. Learn how to integrate video and podcasts as assignments or library “texts in Perusall. Check out this blog post from Derek Bruff on his multimedia uses of Perusall.

Use Cases and Teaching Ideas

See more examples on the Perusall blog.

Workshop Information

If no workshops are available, you can contact learntech@ncsu.edu to request a consultation about using Perusall in your courses.

Resources

Back to top