ON DEMAND: Fostering Student Engagement with Reading Materials: Using a Social Annotation Platform (15 mins)

Abstract

Students who engage with course materials frequently have increased long-term learning compared to those that cram for a test. In many classes, this means reading and understanding written materials – but too often students do minimal reading. Perusall is a “social annotation” tool that creates an engaging reading experience for students who then come to lecture more prepared. Any PDF document can be uploaded, and students annotate as they read. They earn points for quality, asking and answering questions, and interacting with their classmates. Set up is straightforward and Perusall manages the grading automatically - freeing up time for high-quality interactions with students. This can be used in any discipline, in large or small sections, and in both online and face to face courses. Students interact in a familiar way (like social media), which has been especially helpful in building community in online and in large sections. It draws out students who typically stay quiet in class and faculty can interact with students in a way not possible on discussion boards. This technology is especially beneficial for ESL learners and others who struggle with reading, and it identifies trends of curiosity and confusion – providing data for faculty to tailor lecture or learning activities. Participants in this recorded session will witness a demonstration of the tool and will be provided with a course code to try out the tool firsthand where they can interact with other participants and with the presenter.