Instructor Guide (Setting Up & Managing StudyMate)

Step 1: Enable StudyMate in Course Navigation

  1. Open your Canvas course and click Settings at the bottom of the left-hand course menu.

  2. Select the Navigation tab at the top.

  3. Locate StudyMate, click the three vertical dots next to it, and select Enable (or drag StudyMate into the upper visible section).

  4. Scroll to the bottom and click Save.

  • Verification: Check your left navigation menu to confirm StudyMate is now visible.

Step 2: Create a New Project

  1. Click StudyMate in your left navigation menu.

  2. Click Create New Project.

  3. Enter a Project Title (e.g., BIO 101 - Chapter 1 Vocabulary) and an optional description.

  4. Set the Editing Rights:

    • Instructor Only: Select this if you want sole control over the content.

    • Student & Instructor: Select this if you want students to collaboratively build study sets.

  5. Click Save.

  • Verification: Ensure the new project title appears listed on your StudyMate main screen.

Step 3: Add Study Content

  1. Click Edit next to the created project.

  2. Select one of the three content templates:

    • Fact: Simple statements or key concept summaries.

    • Term/Definition: Vocabulary terms paired with definitions.

    • Multiple Choice: Questions with up to 5 answer options and explanations.

  3. Fill in the template fields and click Save Item.

  4. (Optional) Click Import Items to upload existing text files, Word documents, or publisher test banks.

  • Verification: Check the item counter next to the project to confirm your added items saved successfully.

Step 4: Make Content Available to Students

  • Method 1 (Navigation Menu): On the main StudyMate screen, click the drop-down arrow next to the project name and select Make Available in Course.

  • Method 2 (Canvas Modules):

    1. Go to Modules in Canvas and click the + (Add) button inside a module.

    2. Select External Tool from the drop-down menu.

    3. Scroll down, select StudyMate, and choose the project.

    4. Click Add Item.

  • Verification: Switch to Canvas Student View to verify that students can see and open the StudyMate project.

Step 5: Track Student Engagement

  1. Open StudyMate from the course navigation menu.

  2. Click the drop-down arrow next to any project and select Reports / Usage.

  • Verification: Confirm that the aggregated usage summary table displays student activity statistics.


Student Guide (Accessing & Studying Teacher-Published Content)

Step 1: Locate Published StudyMate Content

  1. Log in to Canvas and open your course.

  2. Access the teacher's published StudyMate set using one of two places:

  3. Via Canvas Modules: Click directly on the StudyMate assignment/link placed by your instructor within a weekly module.

  4. Via Course Navigation: Click StudyMate in the left menu to view all published projects available for the course.

  5. Verification: Confirm that the StudyMate dashboard opens and lists the published study set created by your instructor.


Step 2: Select a Study Activity Mode

  • Once you open a published project, StudyMate automatically converts your instructor's facts, terms, and multiple-choice questions into interactive activities. Click any of the following modes under the View tab

  • Flash Cards: Review core terms and click to flip the card for definitions or explanations provided by your teacher.

  • Pick A Letter: Play a word-guessing game using the hints and definitions written by your instructor.

  • Fill in the Blank: Practice recall by typing the exact terms missing from your instructor's facts or definitions.

  • Matching / Crosswords: Work through dynamically generated puzzles that pair your teacher's key terms with their corresponding definitions.

  • Glossary: Read through a structured list of all terms, definitions, and facts published for that specific unit.

  • Verification: Ensure the activity loads with the current unit's terms and questions.


Step 3: Self-Assess with Teacher-Created Quizzes & Challenges

  1. Click Quiz to take a practice test built directly from the instructor's multiple-choice and term/definition entries.

  2. Select your answers and receive immediate feedback, complete with any answer explanations provided by your teacher.

  3. Click Challenge to play a game-show style activity against the clock to test speed and accuracy before an actual exam.

  4. Re-take quizzes as many times as needed; StudyMate will randomize question order to reinforce learning.

  5. Verification: Check your final score at the end of the activity to gauge your readiness for class assessments.


Step 4: Contribute to Shared Projects (If Instructor-Enabled)

  1. If your teacher set the project rights to Student & Instructor, click Edit next to the course project.

  2. Click Add Item to create new term/definition pairs or multiple-choice practice questions.

  3. Save your entries to share them with the rest of the class for group study.

  4. Verification: Check the shared class project list to confirm your added items are visible to peers.


Step 5: Study on Mobile Devices

  1. Open Canvas on a mobile web browser, or download the StudyMate LMS Edition app from iOS or Android app stores.

  2. Connect your app to Canvas using the mobile registration code generated under the StudyMate settings tab in Canvas.

  3. Access all teacher-published flashcards, quizzes, and games on your smartphone or tablet for offline study.

  4. Verification: Open the mobile app and confirm that all course projects published by your instructor sync automatically.


Resources

Official Documentation: Respondus StudyMate Campus Resources


Instructor Quick Start Guide: Respondus StudyMate Canvas Guide (PDF)


Video Tutorial: Getting Started with StudyMate


This video walkthrough provides a visual demonstration of how to build flashcards, practice quizzes, and interactive games, as well as how students interact with them in Canvas.