Collaboration through social annotation.
Hypothesis is an annotation tool designed to facilitate collaborative and interactive online discussions. It allows users to add comments, annotations, and discussions to web pages, PDFs, and other online content. Through the power of social annotation, it can make online discussions more meaningful, productive, and engaging.
Features
- Browser Extension: Hypothesis offers a browser extension that allows users to annotate web pages directly from their browsers. This extension works with popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
- Versatile Annotation: Users can annotate a variety of digital content, including web pages, PDFs, and other online materials, providing a versatile platform for collaborative research, online education, and content analysis.
- Collaborative Annotation and Discussions: Hypothesis emphasizes collaborative annotation, allowing users to view annotations made by others and engage in threaded discussions within the context of specific annotations. This feature fosters interactive and collaborative learning experiences.
- Privacy and Accessibility: Hypothesis prioritizes user privacy, allowing individuals to control the visibility of their annotations. Additionally, the tool is designed to be accessible to users with disabilities, promoting inclusivity in the user experience.
Pilot
During 2023, UBC’s Learning Technology Hub piloted Hypothesis. The pilot demonstrated that its pedagogical benefits can carry across different course contexts. Teacher teams believed that Hypothesis enhanced students’ collaborative learning experiences, facilitated student connections, and provided valuable guidance for course instruction. Similarly, students expressed that the interactive features positively impacted their involvement with both the course content and their peers.
After the pilot phase, LT Hub Leadership decided to centrally support the use of Hypothesis outside of Canvas.
To read the full pilot report, visit the following link: Hypothesis Pilot Report
Using Hypothesis
Although the Hypothesis integration with Canvas exhibited potential, there is currently no funding available for comprehensive integrated support. Instead, instructors and students can utilize the open-source, web-based version of Hypothesis by creating a Hypothesis account on the vendor’s website.
Visit the following link to create your Hypothesis account: Hypothesis Website
Support Available
If you would like to do a consultation or wish to use Hypothesis in your courses, please contact LDDI (lddi.educ@ubc.ca) or schedule a one-on-one meeting below.