Merrydew

Aimee Merrydew | Keele University

In 2020, many educators suddenly had to move their teaching online. While this ‘emergency phase’ was a daunting and challenging time, it also provided opportunities to rethink our teaching practices in ways that can enhance student learning, including students' abilities to read critically and collaboratively. Many of us are used to setting in-situ group work that requires students to engage in collaborative critical reading activities. How can we facilitate these important activities in online settings? In this workshop, I will discuss my use of digital technologies – specifically Talis Elevate – as a collaborative critical reading tool in online teaching and learning environments. After introducing Talis Elevate and how I have used it in my teaching, I will ask delegates to think critically about some of the benefits and potential challenges of using collaborative annoatation tools to support critical reading in online learning communities. I will also invite participants to reflect on and share ideas for how they might use digital technologies to support collaborative critical reading amongst students in their own teaching practice. Through these activities, we will co-create a toolkit that provides delegates with top tips for ensuring that online collaborative reading activities are effective, fun, and engaging across the disciplines.