Reading online during lockdown: insights from History and Heritage

Reporting on a third-year undergraduate history module at the University of Lincoln (UK), and adopting a mixed-methods approach (involving analysis of analytics data from collaborative reading tools, survey input from the module cohort, and interviews with students), this chapter evaluates student engagement with primary source reading and annotation. Data embraces both blended and online-learning phases of the module, arising from Covid-19-imposed lockdown. Discussion appraises how individuals approached reading, the role of interaction and collaboration in reading, and the relationship between summative assessment and reading practices. Findings show that students value collaborative reading very highly as a pathway for co-creation of knowledge, building confidence, and performance in assessment. Module design and framing by the tutor are also shown to be fundamental to students’ engagement with reading.