Gavin Porter, Lecturer in Immunology (HMS), helps students develop critical skills for research paper analysis. Prior to 2019, his students would individually read papers and submit their analysis through a traditional templated question approach. Due to the repetitive nature of the assessment product and after realizing that all students could benefit from each other’s questions and ideas, Dr. Porter transitioned this assignment to a collaborative one using a social annotation platform created at Harvard called Perusall. The platform embeds the research paper PDF that students read asynchronously and mark with comments or questions throughout. Students see each other’s annotations and can build upon each other in collaborative threads and answer each other’s questions. Comments are situated directly within the margins of the course documents, instead of a disembodied discussion forum. Paper figures can be annotated, and so can video content.
Using Social Annotation Tools to Unlock Collective Wisdom
The benefits
Social annotation engages students on a deeper level through peer interaction and it helps make learning visible to all. These tools enable students to ask questions, share insights, and engage in discussions about the material asynchronously. Students' understanding of the material is enhanced, and they also see that they are not alone in their struggles with reading challenging research papers. For Dr. Porter, these tools allow for greater insight into how students are processing course material so he can highlight exemplar points or address any misunderstandings. Instructors can choose to actively engage in the asynchronous discussion to build upon or steer comments, or simply summarize thoughts to bring back to a synchronous class discussion.
“The social annotation approach makes students’ thoughts visible and prompts the entire class to participate in discussion of course content.”
The challenges
Dr. Porter believes that for social annotation to be most effective, instructors should participate in the asynchronous discussions and bring them back to class for further reflection. Lectures can be amended based on common (… or intriguing and uncommon) questions. However, manual grading of annotations can be quite time consuming if the class is large. The Perusall platform has the ability to synthesize and evaluate comments using machine learning, which is a welcome feature for large groups. Even with automated evaluation, instructors can still participate in interesting discussion threads, as their time permits, and bring selected annotations to future synchronous class sessions.
Takeaways and best practices
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Start small.
Consider incorporating social annotation into a few assignments before deciding whether to fully integrate it into your teaching. Assess your student engagement and keep examples of high- and low-quality annotation content to guide the next cohort of students. -
Join the conversation.
Actively participate in the asynchronous discussions. Instructor involvement can enrich the learning experience for both teacher and student. It also provides an opportunity to guide the conversation, clear up misconceptions, and highlight important points. -
Spotlight student input.
Dr. Porter typically adds screenshots of students’ insightful annotations to class presentations. This not only acknowledges and validates the student's work but also provides a jumping-off point for deeper classroom discussions.
Bottom line
Social annotation tools offer a new and effective way to enhance students’ reading experiences. If used effectively, instructors can improve students' understanding of complex materials, foster an engaged asynchronous learning community, and provide a platform for meaningful discussions about course content.