Use an annotation tool like Hypothesis to structure reading assignments.
Suggested Assignments
There are lots of ideas online about how to use annotation for reading assignments. Here are a few to look at and explore:
- Annotation as a Reading “Action” In this example, Brian Watkins of Austin College creates an “action-based” structure for students’ required annotation assignment. Instead of just requiring students to “share X number of annotations” on each reading, think about what you want them to achieve through their annotating practice and how it can scaffold and support their reading skills.
- Questions and Answers in Annotation Matthew Roberts at Grand State University developed this assignment to help his students read particularly challenging texts, in his case Supreme Course decisions. Use this assignment if you’re students are struggling with harder texts and a question/answer structure might help them. This is a great way of reminding them that they can use annotations to ask questions, not just share their opinions/knowledge.
- Scholarly Article Annotation At Hunter College, Dr Karen Akre created this assignment for her students who were struggling with reading scholarly scientific pieces. Group annotation is a tool that students can use to navigate particularly tricky texts or language.
Considerations
- Set aside time in class to make sure students are signed up and know how to use the tool. Hypothesis provides a quick onboarding resource and a guide for students.
- Annotation can be an incredibly useful teaching and learning tool, but it will likely require some framing and contextualization for your students to learn how to use it effectively. When developing annotation assignments, consider the type of text students are reading and what kind of annotation is most appropriate. Can you provide guidelines so that your students have a purpose to their annotating activity?
- Make sure you are annotating alongside your students. This can be a bit of a balancing act. On the one hand, it is important to model for them what you are looking for. On the other hand, you don’t want to swamp the annotation conversation with your “expert” opinions and input. Consider starting off with a few annotations of your own that demonstrate how students should approach the activity; then focus your annotating on responding to your students annotations by reinforcing their ideas, pushing them to consider new approaches, or connecting them to other students’ comments.