Piazza

Piazza is an online discussion tool that facilitates discussion of topics in a question-and-answer format with a dedicated area for students and instructors to respond to questions. Students can post and answer questions, help their peers outside of the classroom, and encourage discussion. Instructors can answer student questions, which provide correct and “expert” answers to students and are marked with a yellow symbol, differentiating their posts from student posts. Piazza is also fully integrated with Canvas and offers other interactive features, such as anonymous posting and polls.  

Key Features

  • Question-and-answer format: ask questions and discuss topics in a question-and –answer format 
  • Student collaboration: multiple individuals can contribute and answer questions by editing the same post to formulate the best answer to a question 
  • Open learning environment: anonymously post questions and answers 
  • Check student understanding: create polls to assess student understanding of class concepts 
  • Announcements: create announcements to inform students of important class information 
  • Canvas integration: easily accessible as Piazza is fully integrated with Canvas  

Getting Started

To start using Piazza, you must first enable Piazza in your Canvas course (either by adding Piazza to the Course Navigation or adding a link to Piazza from a module). Next,  create and set up a Piazza class for your students to enroll in.  

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)

If you decide to use Piazza in your course, you must use Canvas integration to ensure its use complies with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). The Canvas integration link directs students to the proper Piazza course and masks the student’s identity before it is sent to the site. To comply with BC privacy legislation, students will need to create a Piazza account and agree to the terms of use the first time they use the tool. While Piazza adheres to strict U.S. privacy regulations (FERPA), UBC cannot guarantee the security of student’s private details on servers outside of Canada. Students should be reminded to exercise caution whenever using personal information, and that they may use a pseudonym to protect their privacy if they have concerns. Creating a Piazza course outside of Canvas and providing students with the external URL is not FIPPA compliant and is not recommended. 

Instructions

  • Add students and other instructors and TAs to your Piazza class 
    • Note: To protect the confidentiality of other instructors' and TAs' personal email addresses, please add them using their UBC email addresses. 
    • Note: If Instructors and TAs self-enroll by accessing the Piazza link in Canvas, the first instructor of the Piazza course will be notified by email and will need to approve the request. 
  • Change anonymity settings for discussions in your Piazza class  
    • By default, students have the option to post anonymously. 

Last updated on: September 27, 2024


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We honour xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam) on whose ancestral, unceded territory UBC Vancouver is situated. UBC Science is committed to building meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples so we can advance Reconciliation and ensure traditional ways of knowing enrich our teaching and research.

Learn more: Musqueam First Nation

Skylight: Science Centre for Learning and Teaching


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