Before You Begin
Crowdmark is a divisionally selected tool and is not automatically available in every Quercus course. Access must be approved by the relevant division on a course-by-course basis and renewed each semester.
Each division establishes its own policies and practices for using Crowdmark, including assessment administration, licensing, and funding. Crowdmark has a per-student-per-course licensing cost that is managed by the division.
To request access, contact your divisional representative. If you are unsure whom to contact, email q.help@utoronto.ca for assistance identifying the appropriate representative.
The approval and activation process is as follows:
- The instructor contacts their divisional representative to discuss the proposed use of Crowdmark.
- If approved, the divisional representative works with Crowdmark to complete the necessary contracting and licensing arrangements.
- Once arrangements are complete, the divisional representative contacts the central Quercus Help team to enable the integration for the course.
Note: Since September 3, 2025, instructors and students access Crowdmark through their Quercus courses using the LTI integration rather than signing in directly through the Crowdmark website.
Adding Crowdmark to Your Quercus Course
Once Crowdmark has been approved and enabled for your course, you can add it through Quercus Modules.
- In your Quercus course, select Modules.
- Select the + icon in the module where you want to add Crowdmark.
- From the Add drop-down menu, select External Tool.
- Select Crowdmark LTI from the list of available tools.
- Scroll down and ensure Load in a new tab is selected.
- Select Add Item.
Note: The Load in a new tab option may be difficult to locate because the Add Item window contains multiple scrolling areas. You may need to scroll to the bottom of both areas to find it.
The first time you access Crowdmark through Quercus, Crowdmark creates a corresponding course in its platform. Once your Crowdmark course is created, synchronize your student roster and teaching team with Quercus before setting up assessments.
Adding Instructors and Teaching Assistants
The initial instructor can add additional instructors and teaching assistants to the Crowdmark course.
- Users already enrolled in Quercus: In Crowdmark, open Course Team and select Sync with LMS to add teaching team members from the Quercus course.
- Other users: On the Crowdmark Course Team page, use Add by email to invite additional team members.
When synchronizing teaching team members, review their assigned roles and permissions in Crowdmark to ensure they have the appropriate access.
For detailed instructions, consult Crowdmark’s guide, Importing Team Members from Canvas. In this documentation, Canvas refers to Quercus.
Synchronizing Students
To synchronize your student roster with Quercus, open Course students in Crowdmark and select Sync with LMS. Review the student information and confirm the updates to your roster.
Keep your roster current, particularly before administering assessments, to ensure students are enrolled correctly and grades can be synchronized with the Quercus Gradebook.
Student Access to Crowdmark
Students access Crowdmark through their Quercus course. Ensure that both the Quercus module and the Crowdmark LTI module item are published so students can access Crowdmark through your course.
Crowdmark assessments do not automatically appear as Quercus assignments. Instructors can add links to individual assessments using Crowdmark’s instructions for sharing assessments through Canvas.
For detailed instructions, consult Crowdmark’s guide, How Do Students Access Their Crowdmark Assessments Through Canvas?
When preparing assessments, ensure students have clear instructions for accessing Crowdmark and understand any requirements for completing and submitting their work. Where appropriate, consider accessibility requirements, accommodations, and alternative arrangements before administering an assessment.
Accessing Crowdmark Courses Created Before September 2025
Crowdmark courses created before September 3, 2025, used the previous API integration. The current integration uses LTI 1.3.
To access older Crowdmark courses:
- Open Crowdmark through your Quercus course using the current LTI integration.
- In Crowdmark’s course selection menu, switch from Quercus @ University of Toronto to Quercus – API @ University of Toronto.
Courses created during the transition to LTI may require migration. Crowdmark manages this process, and instructors generally do not need to take additional action beyond accessing Crowdmark through the new integration.
Additional Information and Support
For technical instructions and troubleshooting, consult Crowdmark’s support documentation.
Additional guidance is available from local academic units:
- University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM): Using Crowdmark at UTM
- Faculty of Arts & Science: Crowdmark in A&S
- Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: Crowdmark Guides