Hypothesis

as a Classroom Tool

Christian Steinmetz

Jill Martiniuk

August 2021

What is Hypothesis?

• Collaborative Annotation Software/Platform

​

• Based on an older program called Mosaic, which allowed users to annotate anything on the web.

​

• Unlike other annotation programs/apps (like iAnnotate) meant to be truly collaborative

What was Hypothesis created for?

• Part of the Hypothesis Project, an open-source platform.

​

• Mission Statement: “A conversation layer over the entire web that works everywhere, without needing implementation by any underlying site.”

​

• Every web page, every text or document should be a springboard for conversation.

​

• Not an EdTech company

​

​

​

​

Hypothesis in Higher Education

• Ability to annotate text and respond to annotations
• Puts the conversation right in the document vs. a discussion board
• However, not every instructor wants their students’ comments & conversations online
• Now two modes of annotation: public vs. groups

​

What can you do with Hypothesis?

How do you access hypothesis (public method)

Website: https://web.hypothes.is/ (use the Chrome browser)

Create an account using your email address

​

• Websites
• News articles
• Journal Articles
• Wikis

What Works Best?

In Action

Creating Private Annotation Groups

• Creates a Conversation Just Among Your Students

​

• Allows students to interact with each other and/or across multiple sections of the same course

​

• Easy to create

​

• Easy to share via link

Hypothesis Examples

But first a little about engagement:

�Intentional Student Engagement

See:

Kuh et al. (2007). Piecing together the student success puzzle: Research, propositions and recommendations. ASHE Higher Education Report.

Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J, Schuh, J. H., Whitt, E. J. (2010). Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. Jossey-Bass.

Kuh et al. (2015). Using evidence of student learning to improve higher education. Jossey-Bass.

Characteristics of Engagement

See, for example:

Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE bulletin, 3, 7.

Kilgo, C. A., Sheets, J. K. E., & Pascarella, E. T. (2015). The link between high-impact practices and student learning: Some longitudinal evidence. Higher Education, 69(4), 509-525.

Kuh, G. D. (2013). What matters to student success: The promise of high-impact practices. In NMHEAR Conference.

Hypothesis with Students

• Preparing students for annotations
• Setting up the assignment
• Example Assignment 1
• Annotating before discussions
• Example Assignment 2
• ”Digging Deeper”
• In-Class Engagement
• Highs and lows

​

Preparing Students for Annotations

• Define and model your expectations
• Provide an example
• Do a test run in class
• Video instructions
• Low-Stakes Initial Assignment

​

Example of Video Instructions

Make it a low-stakes assignment to view video, add questions about annotation in syllabus quiz

Setting Up the Assignment

Canvas Example

See also: https://web.hypothes.is/help/using-the-hypothesis-app-with-assignments-in-canvas/

Example Assignment:

General Instructions

As you read through make notes about:

• Questions you have
• Ideas that surprise you
• Connections you make to other readings
• Connections you make to practice

One of the major benefits of using Hypothesis and annotating together is building of each others' ideas. You may be able to answer a question, you might have a new idea to add, or you might be able to make another connection.

For this annotation each group member should add 6 annotations and a minimum of 5 responses to peer annotations. Remember when you are responding add to the conversation, do not simply agree with the original post.

As I review your annotations, I will look for 2 major things:

• WHAT you annotate
• Text has been thoroughly annotated with questions, observations, and reflections of the content. Key points are identified and explained or labeled.
• HOW you annotate
• Writings in margins demonstrate analysis and interpretation – thinking beyond the surface level of the text.

Examples Assignment 1:

Preparing for Discussion & Reading Summary

Scaffolding:

Article:  Taylor, B. J., & Cantwell, B. (2018). Unequal higher education in the United States: Growing participation and shrinking opportunities. Social Sciences, 7(9), 167.

�Step 1: Annotate in groups of 4-5

�Step 2: In-class discussion:

• Discussion of “good value seat”   
• Plotting Vertical and Horizontal Positions
• Exploring 6 categories of institutions

�Step 3: Individual Reading Summary

The summary should be 600 words minimum, 700 words maximum and include a brief introduction to the reading, followed by a longer analysis of the authors' content and argument. This should be followed by a conclusion that presents aspects of the reading you found particularly impressive and aspects that you found not persuasive.

�   

Example Assignment 2: �“Digging Deeper”

Digging Deeper

Purpose:

• Go beyond the required reading to learn more about a topic in which you are interested
• Further hone skills in critically reading and analyzing the higher education literature
• Examine your own thinking about a particular issue
• Connect research to practice

​

Steps

• Step 1: Annotate Article with Group of 4-5 Peers
• Bastedo, M. N., & Jaquette, O. (2011). Running in place: Low-income students and the dynamics of higher education stratification. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 33(3), 318-339.
• Step 2: Write Article Analysis
• After you complete the annotation of the assigned article with your group, individually you will write a 5-7 page paper that addresses the following topics:
• What is the primary thesis (i.e., assertion, point) of the work?
• What does it illuminate about the overarching topic (e.g., if your overarching topic is the pk-16 pipeline, what does the article illuminate about the pk-16 pipeline)?
• What is similar and different about this work’s thesis versus the required readings for the same module (e.g., for the example above article compare and contrast with the other readings that we did on the pk-16 pipeline)?
• How does this work affect your thinking about the topic and how may it influence your future practice (e.g., for the example, how does the article affect your thinking about the PreK-16 pipeline, and how might the article affect how you would interact with students in a future professional work setting)?

In-Class Engagement Examples

• Mission and vision statements
• Websites
• Theoretical Models
• Current
• Student-developed
• Organizational Charts
• Budgets
• Practice understanding research methods

Hypothesis Highs & Lows

Highs

• Students engage with each other
• Encourages close reading
• Scaffolding
• Time to reflect on reading

Lows

• Timing (especially if requiring discussion)
• One-word responses
• Can be hard to set up small groups depending on LMS

Thank you�Questions?

Christian Steinmetz: cls5p@virginia.edu

Jill Martiniuk: jmm9hw@virginia.edu