Engaging deeply with texts is foundational to so many disciplines, from STEM to humanities and social sciences. However, many of us have observed students struggling to dig deeply into course texts. SSU ID Team member and former composition instructor Abby Machson-Carter shares her advice:

1. Give structured reading assignments

For example, double-entry notes ask students to record chosen quotes and their responses on two halves of a page. I've also asked students to do triple-entry notes (quote, summary, response), write short summaries, or required annotation (they show me in class or send an annotated file). These methods help students process what they've read, prepare them to discuss, and set them up to write.

2. Give time to process in a live class

Starting or ending class with an informal writing prompt often gives students time to think more deeply. They could react to a chosen quote, or just their own takeaways and thoughts. Could be submitted - or not!

3. Move beyond whole-class discussions

Big discussions tend to favor the most extroverted/confident students. Small group structures allow wider participation in live or asynchronous discussions on Canvas. Small groups can engage with texts by doing these activities and then summarizing or sharing with the larger group:

Sharing quotes that resonated with them
Summarizing what they understood and identifying where they got lost
Looking for quotes that answer a question (could be different questions, or one for the whole class)
Using the text to define and understand key terms
Outlining a text, or identifying its parts

You can also try more complex approaches

Have students analyze the text from a specific perspective, like a specific persona, professional lens, or point of view, and share back with the whole class.
Use a jigsaw model and have students teach each other.
Carousel: choose quotes and have each group record reactions to each one. Come back to the larger group to discuss.

In a live class, I bring everyone together at the end to report on what they found. Handouts with instructions and space to record answers can help groups stay accountable. Asynchronously, using a program like Hypothes.is, or providing a space to share reflections with the whole class - whether that's a shared Google Doc, a second Discussion, or a summary you provide (for example, a video or document summarizing takeaways), can be helpful.

In my experience, these techniques help students engage at the sentence or paragraph level, not just as an overview. They can also help support students for whom making sense of texts takes extra effort (newcomers to your field, speakers of English as a foreign language, students with language-based learning differences, etc.), as well as many other students. Hopefully, they will help your students as they move forward in their chosen discipline, and in their lives as global citizens and critical thinkers!

Tech to Support Engagement with Texts

Hypothes.is allows students to remotely annotate a text together online. Great way to start a conversation.
Text to Speech tools converts written words to audible text. Great for students with disabilities, English language learners, or anyone who wants to rest their eyes! Check out Read and Write for Google Chrome, Natural Reader, or other text to speech programs.
You may wish to introduce a digital annotation tool, like Adobe Acrobat, in your class. This longstanding, free tool allows students to annotate PDFs. While there are literally hundreds of other annotation tools out there (and they are constantly changing!), this one does the basics (highlighting and comments) and works on many platforms. If you're interested in other technologies, you might ask your students to share their favorite tools in a Canvas Discussion or other shared space - so you can see what the kids are using this year!
Check out tips for successful groups in any modality, and specific tips for engaging students in Zoom classes.