Which social annotation tool is right for my class?
Tufts offers two different Social Annotation tools for Faculty: Perusall and Hypothesis
This documentation will help guide you to the tool that will best suit your class needs by showing the different problems that each tool can solve.
| Perusall | Hypothesis |
|---|---|
| Best for analysis of text - ex: adding definitions or explaining definitions of certain class vocabulary. |
Best for open class discussion about the reading - ex: students building a conversation around a thought provoking idea from the text. |
Perusall's problem-Solving features
Auto-Grading: The AI auto-grading feature can save you a lot of time. You can customize the grading criteria and sync the grades with Canvas. By being clear with your students on how their annotations will be graded, you can ensure a fair and efficient grading process. See the Perusall Scoring Document for more information. Perusall Scoring Document
Organized Readings: With Hypothesis, you can create assignments and discussions within Canvas. This allows you to keep all your readings in one place, making it easier for students to access and complete their assignments.
Multimedia Annotations: Perusall allows you to add text, videos, or audio files for students to annotate. This can enhance their learning experience and provide more engaging course material. See the Audio in Perusall and Video in Perusall support documents for more information.
Teaching Assistant Support: Hypothesis allows teaching assistants to create and grade assignments through Canvas. This can help lighten your workload and provide additional support for your students. Perusall does not currently have a way to connect a TA to your course within their platform
These tools have more similarities than differences and both offer a great way to encourage engagement with readings or course material.
The first step for determining the best social annotation tool to use will be understanding your classes' learning objectives and how social annotation will best help them meet these.
Getting started
Have more questions? Reach out to [email protected] and an educational technology specialist would be happy to discuss which tool is right for you.