Liquid Margins 49: How to Get Students to Actually Read Course Materials (and Enjoy It!)
2025-01-29 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
We’ve all been there: a class discussion falls flat, and the dreaded confession comes—your students didn’t do the reading. With attention spans under siege by TikTok, text alerts, and an ever-growing pile of to-dos, how do we reignite a love (or at least a tolerance) for closer reading?
This webinar brings together educators from Rutgers University, and Contra Costa Community College to tackle the modern reading crisis head-on. We’ll dive into what’s holding students back and share practical, creative solutions to get them turning pages—and engaging with course materials like never before. From reimagining assignments to leveraging new tools such as social annotation, this is the conversation every educator needs.
What You’ll Learn

Why Students Aren’t Reading
Uncover the key factors contributing to disengagement, from digital overload to shifting educational priorities.
Proven Strategies to Increase Reading Engagement
Hear success stories and actionable tips from fellow educators who’ve found innovative ways to inspire students to pick up the book—and finish it.
The Power of Social Annotation
See how collaborative tools like Hypothesis are changing the game, turning passive reading into an active, social, and rewarding experience.
Practical Classroom Takeaways
Walk away with ideas you can implement immediately to foster critical thinking, peer connection, and better learning outcomes.

Whether you’re frustrated with unread assignments or simply looking to level up your teaching toolkit, this webinar is packed with insights, humor, and solutions to help students not just read—but engage.
Let’s get those margins filled and the conversations flowing!

Liquid Margins 50: Transforming OER with AI and Social Annotation - A Guide for Educators
2025-03-12 14:00 - 15:00
Creating and sharing Open Educational Resources (OER) gives educators the freedom to design flexible, affordable learning experiences. But what if you could take it even further? AI-powered tools are making it easier than ever to develop high-quality OER materials, and social annotation is transforming how students interact with course content.
Join Diana Fordham, Missouri Southern State University, and the Hypothesis team for a dynamic conversation on how AI can streamline OER creation and how Hypothesis can make these resources more interactive, engaging, and effective for students.
Key Takeaways:

How AI can help you create adaptable, high-quality OER materials
Ways to integrate Hypothesis to spark discussion and deepen student engagement
Real-world examples of AI-generated OER in action
Strategies to make OER more interactive and collaborative
Best practices for keeping your OER content inclusive, effective, and impactful

Why Attend?
Whether you’re just starting with OER or looking to enhance your existing initiatives, this session will equip you with practical strategies and real-world applications to maximize their impact. Walk away with actionable insights to:

Boost student engagement, performance, and equity with OER.
Create high-quality, adaptable OER materials with AI to streamline content development.
Leverage annotation data to demonstrate and improve the effectiveness of your OER content.

Come ready to explore, ask questions, and walk away with innovative ways to make OER work better for you and your students!

Liquid Margins 51: Beyond the Syllabus - Real-World Engagement with Social Annotation at Virginia Tech
2025-08-07 13:00 - 14:00
Join us for a special conversation featuring two outstanding educators from Virginia Tech. In this 45-minute webinar, we’ll hear how Dr. Deborah J. Good, Associate Professor in Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, and Lauren DiSalvo, Collegiate Assistant Professor in the School of Visual Arts, are using social annotation to transform their classrooms.
Whether they’re helping students better analyze complex scientific texts or engage more deeply with visual and cultural materials, both educators have found social annotation to be a powerful tool for building comprehension, sparking participation, and developing critical thinking across disciplines.
What You’ll Learn:

Firsthand Faculty Strategies: Hear how Deborah and Lauren bring texts and materials to life through annotation—no matter the subject.
Cross-Disciplinary Applications: Explore how social annotation supports different teaching styles, learning goals, and course types.
Real Results: Learn how active engagement leads to stronger understanding, more meaningful discussion, and better academic outcomes.
Easy Integration: Get tips for implementing social annotation in your LMS with minimal setup and maximum impact.

Whether you’re just exploring social annotation or ready to take your use of it further, you’ll leave with actionable insights and inspiration from two educators leading the way in Virginia.
