The Impact of Social Annotation on Students’ Engagement in Synchronous Online Learning

Abstract

The wide adoption of synchronous online learning (SOL) has exposed the ongoing challenges in learner engagement. Although social annotation tools (SATs) have demonstrated promise in an asynchronous context, their potential in SOL remains unexplored. This study proposes a quasi-experimental design, specifically a single-group A-B design, to systematically investigate the roles of SATs in reshaping behavioral, cognitive, and emotional engagement in SOL sessions. Findings are expected to provide empirical evidence for optimizing instructional design in technology-enhanced SOL environments.