Hypothesis

Human Centered Learning in the Age of AI: How Social Annotation Builds Reading, Belonging, and Better Outcomes
2026-02-25 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Students are reading less and shortcutting more—but social annotation can change that. By making reading visible, collaborative, and measurable, social annotation empowers students to think critically, engage with peers, and build community.
In this session, you’ll learn:

How to create human-centered learning experiences that work in practice

Strategies for improving discussion quality and critical reading

Ways to scale social annotation across programs with the right support model

Think First, Talk Later: Introducing Paced Social Annotation
2026-08-12 13:00 - 14:00
AI has made it easier than ever for students to access summaries, generated responses, and even their classmates’ ideas before they’ve had the chance to develop their own. As a result, many institutions are asking the same question: How can we encourage authentic reading and independent thinking without relying on surveillance or AI detection?
In this webinar, Hypothesis CEO Joe Ferraro and Head of Product and Support Michael DiRoberts will introduce Paced Social Annotation, a new instructional mode designed to help students engage with course readings independently before joining the conversation.
You’ll see how Paced Social Annotation creates two intentional phases of learning: first, students complete a close reading and add their own annotations without seeing their peers’ responses; then, at a checkpoint chosen by the instructor, annotations are revealed and collaborative discussion begins.
Join us for a live demonstration of how Paced Social Annotation works and discover how it can help you:

Encourage independent thinking and original interpretation before peer influence
Design AI-resistant reading experiences through instructional design rather than surveillance
Foster richer, more meaningful discussions by having students return to the text after developing their own ideas
Structure annotation activities for courses of any size, from small seminars to large lecture classes
Decide when to use real-time Social Annotation and when Paced Social Annotation is the better fit for your learning goals

Whether you’re teaching first-year students, facilitating graduate seminars, or looking for new ways to promote deeper engagement with course materials, you’ll leave with practical strategies for making reading more thoughtful, collaborative, and impactful.
Speakers:
Joe Ferraro, CEO at Hypothesis, has spent more than 20 years helping higher education institutions adopt innovative teaching technologies that improve student learning and engagement.
Michael DiRoberts, Head of Product and Support at Hypothesis, is a former educator who works closely with instructors to design and implement effective teaching experiences using social annotation.
Register Here
