Piazza Q&A is an online discussion tool that instructors may use to facilitate learning in their Quercus courses. Piazza Q&A allows you to post questions and collaborate to edit responses to these questions. Instructors can also answer questions, endorse your answers, and edit or delete any posted content.
This article provides instructions on accessing Piazza in your Quercus course, confirming your Piazza account, and modifying your account settings.
Piazza consists of two products - Piazza Q&A and Piazza Network. Only the Piazza Q&A tool is supported by the University of Toronto. Piazza Network is packaged together with Piazza Q&A, and allows students and potential employers to connect outside of your course. The option to join the Piazza Network is presented to you when you create a Piazza account.
Piazza Network is NOT required to complete your account set up or to participate in the Piazza Q&A for your course.
1. Find Piazza in you Quercus course
If an instructor has enabled the Piazza Q&A online discussion board in your Quercus course, Piazza will appear as an item in your course navigation menu. To open Piazza:
- Select Piazza in the course navigation menu
2. Create your Piazza account
2.1. Confirm enrollment and create account
Selecting the Piazza item in the course navigation will bring you to the Piazza enrollment confirmation page. If you don’t already have an account with Piazza, the email confirmation area will invite you to confirm your email:
- Select continue to send a confirmation code to your school email.
After receiving the confirmation code in your email:
- Copy the code from the email.
Return to the course and navigate to Piazza:
- Paste the code into the text box provided.
- Select confirm.
2.2. Input Academic Information
Next, you’ll be prompted to input your Academic Information (program of study, major, and graduation date).
You are not required to provide this information in order to participate in the Piazza Q&A in your course. It's recommended that you carefully consider any information you share.
If you do not wish to share information with Piazza, you can simply:
- Select I’m studying in grades K-12, or I’m not pursuing a degree.
- Select Continue.
2.3. Opt Out of Piazza Network
You may then be given the option to join the Piazza Network.
You are not required to join the Piazza Network. Your choice to not join the Piazza Network will not impact your ability to join your Piazza course or participate in the Piazza Q&A discussion board.
If you do not wish to join the Piazza Network:
- Select Don't join the network.
To verify or change your account settings at any time:
- Select Account Settings by selecting your name and profile icon on the top, right side of the page.
- Check that your Piazza Network Preferences are correct.
- Select Save to apply any changes.
3. Participate in Piazza Q & A
Once your course is set up, you will see the following welcome screen.
Select anywhere to dismiss the tutorial and go to your Piazza course within Quercus.
After your first login to Piazza via Quercus, you will be able to access your Piazza course with single sign-on (SSO) (i.e., using UTORid and password) directly through Quercus.
For information on using Piazza in your course, visit Piazza Support.