Cirrus@Austlit

Below is how a short text annotation exercise appears on screen. The yellow highlighted text is attached to the annotation. The green highlights in the text below indicates additional annotations.

Annotations are readily visible across the body of the text.

View the PDF version of an exemplar text annotation assignment ('My Last Duchess').

Text annotation requires students to look closely at the work itself, rather than deal than obliquely or indirectly with their readings.

Examples of how Cirrus text annotation has been used:

Preparatory reading exercises: to prepare students before tutorials by setting sections of creative work for annotation.

Critical analysis: to determine students' facility with critical material by setting sections of critical work for analysis.

Peer feedback exercises: to encourage students' to politely and critically critique each others' work.

Below is a sample image annotation. In this instance, students have been asked to annotate a neo-Assyrian statue.

Image annotations facilitate cross-references and analysis, including the addition of other images for comparison.

View the PDF download of an exemplar image annotation assignment ('Assyrian Statue').

Image annotation requires the student to deal directly with the artwork, artefact, advertising copy, or any visual object and to critique it as a physical object.

Examples of how Cirrus image annotation has been used:

Introducing visual components of text: to introduce the non-textual elements of forms such as drama into analysis.

Analysing illustrated texts: to enable analysis of the full range of a work such as a magazine article or a blog post, including illustrations.

Analysing artefacts: setting assessment items that include a close reading of physical artefacts from other civilisations.

Below is a sample video annotation. The video is on its opening screen (and not playing), and the annotations are visible as icons in the box below, attached to the relevant date stamps.

Individual annotations are viewed by clicking on one of the icons.

Video annotation allows students to think deeply about the text and its contexts.

Examples of how Cirrus video annotation has been used:

Film analysis: allowing students to closely and directly critique film techniques and visual storytelling devices.

Drama analysis: allowing students to consider theatre texts beyond the words on the page in set readings.

As with video annotation, the audio track appears on screen, and the annotations are visible as icons in the box below, attached to the relevant date stamps.

Annotations are visible when one of the icons is selected.

Audio annotation allows students to critique an oral work (storytelling, music, interviews) directly and concisely.