ABSTRACT
This chapter presents evidence for the effectiveness of and practical guidelines for adapting social annotation tools as a method of encouraging students to go beyond basic reading comprehension to engaging critically with texts. After historicizing social annotation practices through the Book Traces project, the author argues for the use of digital tools to create a collaborative reading space. Extending reading practices into an online space shifts the focus from “instructor as authority” to a model in which students can discuss their perspectives through shared marginalia. In a series of scaffolded assignments, starting with digitizing archival material and ending with designing the future of the book, students shift from being passive consumers to critical makers. Resulting essays demonstrate that these activities lead students not only to consider what a text says, but also to think about the role of the text in our society.
