The increasing demand for software engineering education presents learning challenges in courses due to the diverse range of topics that require practical applications, such as programming and designing software systems, all of which are supported by group work and interaction, (e.g., pair programming or development teams). Social Annotation (SA) represents an approach to teaching that can enhance collaborative learning among students. In SA, both students and teachers utilize platforms like Feedback Fruits, Perusall, and Diigo to collaboratively annotate and discuss course materials. This approach encourages students to share their thoughts and answers with their peers, fostering a more interactive learning environment. We share our experience of implementing social annotation as a preparatory tool for lectures in an introductory programming course aimed at undergraduate students majoring in Software Engineering. Specifically, we have chosen Perusall as our Social Annotation (SA) platform of focus. This study delves into the impact of Perusall on the examination results of 112 students enrolled in an object-oriented programming course. Our findings underscore the significance of Perusall in enhancing students’ outcomes. For example, 81% of students engaged in meaningful social annotation successfully passed the course. Notably, the proportion of students passing the exam tends to rise as they complete more Perusall assignments. In contrast, only 56% of students who did not participate in Perusall discussions managed to pass the exam. We did not enforce mandatory Perusall participation in the course, yet the feedback from our course evaluation questionnaire reveals that most students ranked Perusall among their top three favorite components of the course. Furthermore, students reported that they learned something meaningful in the course and that their interest in the subject has increased.