Community Building Through Social Annotation: Building Academic Literacies at a Distance

Jennifer Walsh Marr; Shihua Tan

doi:10.21432/cjlt28803

Authors

Jennifer Walsh Marr University of British Columbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1688-4707
Shihua Tan University of British Columbia https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6203-8028

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21432/cjlt28803

Keywords:

academic literacies, community of inquiry, online learning, principles of inclusive pedagogy, social annotation

Abstract

Student readiness for university study cannot be assumed; the progression to become a successful student requires support. Highlighting the implementation of purposeful, accessible, and inclusive pedagogical design, this case study explores emergent academic literacies and community building using social annotation in the context of remote teaching and learning. This study analyses first year international students’ annotations in academic texts for indicators of learning and community in their asynchronous interactions with one another. Findings indicate that students were able to discern relevant aspects of meaning-making within their texts, pointing to developing academic literacies. Student threaded annotations, group work, and peer review demonstrated individual and shared learning developed over sustained engagement with one another. The study provides support for a curriculum that facilitates and supports novice scholar participation in university communities and discourses.

Author Biographies

Jennifer Walsh Marr, University of British Columbia

Jennifer Walsh Marr is an English for Specific Academic Purposes instructor at Vantage College, University of British Columbia in Canada, and a PhD candidate at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, Canada. Her praxis foci have included the portrayal of settler-Indigenous histories, genre-informed pedagogy, and linguistically responsive instruction. Her current research focuses on university instructors’ language ideologies and pedagogic practices. Email: jennifer.walshmarr@ubc.ca

Shihua Tan, University of British Columbia

Shihua Tan is a PhD student in Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Her research interests include environmental and sustainability education, teacher education, lifelong learning and adult education. She is a graduate teaching assistant who has worked with undergraduate international students and pre-service teachers. Email: dtan1907@gmail.com

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