@Mentions in Hypothesis – A New Way to Engage in Annotations

Making Learning More Interactive and Connected

Engagement is at the heart of meaningful learning. Whether in a classroom or an online course, students, instructors, and researchers thrive when discussions flow naturally—when questions get answered, insights are shared, and ideas build on one another. But keeping those discussions organized, especially in digital environments, can be a challenge.

That’s why we’re introducing @mentions in Hypothesis, a new feature designed to make conversations in annotations even more dynamic, direct, and interactive.

With @mentions, you can tag and notify others right in the margins of course readings, research articles, and collaborative documents. This helps keep conversations going by bringing students back to the course material and notifying them when they’re tagged, ensuring ongoing engagement and deeper discussions.

Why We Built @Mentions

We’ve all gotten used to tagging people in apps and platforms—whether it’s on social media, in messaging apps, or in project collaboration tools. It’s an intuitive, effective way to get someone’s attention in a discussion. Now, that same functionality is available in Hypothesis.

Here’s why we built @mentions into our social annotation tool:

Driving Engagement

Getting a notification when someone directly engages with your comment makes you more likely to respond. @mentions help keep discussions alive, ensuring that thoughtful questions and insights don’t go unanswered.

Enhancing Collaboration

From classrooms to research teams, @mentions create new ways for people to connect and engage with content together. It makes it easy to point someone toward a key concept, clarify an idea, or invite participation in a discussion.

Bringing Students Back to Course Content

Instructors often look for ways to keep students engaged with course readings beyond a single assignment. @mentions encourage students to return to course materials, revisit key discussions, and deepen their interaction with the text. By keeping the conversation active, @mentions help reinforce learning and ensure students stay engaged with the content over time.

How @Mentions Works

Using @mentions in Hypothesis is simple and intuitive:

• Tag a user: Just type “@” and start entering a name—Hypothesis will show you a list of people in your course and LMS groups who are available to tag.
• Notify instantly: When you tag someone, they’ll receive an email notification, ensuring they don’t miss your comment. Coming soon: in-app notifications on the LMS!
• Seamlessly integrated: @mentions work in both the LMS app and the Hypothesis web app.

Key Benefits of @Mentions

For Educators

• Easily guide students to key insights and foster deeper discussions.
• Directly respond to student questions within course readings.
• Keep students engaged by notifying them when follow-ups are needed.

For Students

• Ask questions directly to instructors and peers.
• Get feedback without waiting for class time.
• Stay engaged by participating in threaded discussions on course materials.

For Researchers & Teams

• Collaborate on research papers with easy-to-follow conversations.
• Keep track of feedback and insights in shared documents.
• Stay connected by receiving direct notifications on relevant discussions.

Real-World Impact: What @Mentions Means for You

Bringing @mentions to Hypothesis means:

• More student participation: When students can tag each other (or their instructor), discussions become more engaging and inclusive.
• Faster responses: No more wondering if someone saw your comment—notifications ensure that messages reach the right person.
• Stronger feedback loops: Whether in classrooms or research settings, @mentions help keep conversations organized and flowing.

And most importantly, @mentions fit perfectly into Hypothesis’ mission—making reading and learning more interactive, collaborative, and engaging.

Try @Mentions Today

@mentions is now available in both the LMS app and the Hypothesis web app.

Ready to see it in action? Start using @mentions today!

Need help getting started? Check out our step-by-step guide for detailed instructions on using @mentions effectively.