Hypothes.is

Why Use Hypothes.is?

A collaborative annotation tool that can be integrated in a Canvas assignment or used as a Chrome extension, Hypothes.is allows students to annotate an external webpage or PDF, as well as see and comment on each other’s annotations. Helping our students understand how we want them to read is important for their academic success. The collaborative nature also makes reading a more social activity, where students can engage with each other while also engaging with the text. You may consider using the tool as another way to check students’ engagement with assigned readings beyond quizzes.

What Can I Do With It?

The instructor can participate in the discussion happening in the annotations, as well as access individual student annotations through SpeedGrader in Canvas.

You may consider asking students to:

Annotate Open-Source Materials

There are a number of repositories of open-source and open-access materials online, such as Project Gutenberg. Students can read and annotate works of literature, transcribed historical documents, government web pages and documents, and other materials that are openly available on the web.

Critically Annotate Scholarly Essays

Download essays in PDF form from Lauinger Library’s databases and have students annotate them, looking at form, content, evidence, etc. This shared annotation space can help students better understand how to read scholarly journal articles and research papers.

Rhetorical Analysis

Students can examine essays or op-eds for various rhetorical strategies, as well as fact-check, find sources, and examine the evidence presented in a piece.

How Faculty Use Hypothes.is

Get Started

We have a Hypothes.is tip sheet that has instructions on how to set up a Hypothes.is assignment in Canvas, as well as how to create the annotations. You can always contact cndls@georgetown.edu for any other assistance.

Get Help

Contact CNDLS