peerScholar is an External Tool, which can be added to your Canvas space via the Assignments menu. For more information on what peerScholar does check out: What does peerScholar do?

In Canvas staff need to set up a separate Canvas assignment for each peerScholar activity they wish to create. This is done by creating a Canvas assignment and choosing the submission type External Tool.

The Canvas assignment link acts as the entry point to open the peerScholar interface for both staff and students.

As peerScholar is an External tool, the steps that you need to take to setup and manage your activity within peerScholar should look and feel familiar for staff who have previously used peerScholar.

To add peerScholar to your Canvas course follow the steps below:

Create a Canvas assignment link

• Open the Assignments menu. Next, choose + Assignment to create a new assignment.
• Enter an Assignment name.
• Optional: Enter instructions or further information for students in the rich content editor (text box).
• Points enter the maximum points value available for the assignment.

• Assignment group can be left as default.
• Display grade as we recommend leaving as Points, so that any points awarded within the peerScholar interface can be passed back to Canvas Gradebook.
• Submission type choose External Tool and Find, to open a list of tools.
• Next select your chosen tool (peerScholar).

• Leave the other assignment settings as default, scroll to the bottom of the assignment settings and choose Save to create your assignment link.
• Choosing Save will launch the peerScholar interface where you can select your activity type.

Setting up your assignment within peerScholar

Within peerScholar you will need to choose which activity type you wish to create. Choose your activity type, give it a name and select Create. Next, peerScholar will now automatically move you to the build phase of creating your activity.

For further support check out.

• What does peerScholar do? (for information on the types of activity and workflow you can create)
• peerScholar: Get Started: creating an activity ( guidance on building your chosen activity within peerScholar)
• peerScholar: managing your activity (guidance on the peerScholar interface to help you manage your activity)

Check Canvas assignment

Once you have entered information within peerScholar, you can close the peerScholar window in your browser. At this point we recommend that you check that the peerScholar link has been correctly created. To do that in your course unit space open the Assignment menu. The peerScholar link you created should be available here. Click on the link to reopen peerScholar where you can manage your activity.