Celebrating Innovation in Collaborative Education: Hypothesis Announces 2024 Social Learning Innovator Award Winners

Hypothesis —a leading platform in social annotation— announced the winners of its 2024 Social Learning Innovator Awards. This annual award honors pioneering educators and institutions that have redefined collaborative learning through social annotation, enhancing student engagement and learning across a wide array of academic fields.

This year’s awards recognized exceptional contributions in categories spanning higher education instructors from diverse disciplines, educational administrators, and an “Institutional Award” for institutions that have scaled social learning in transformative ways. Hypothesis encouraged educators to nominate themselves or colleagues who demonstrate impactful, creative applications of social annotation to foster dynamic and engaging learning environments.

Award Categories and Selection Criteria

The 2024 winners were chosen based on their innovative use of social learning to increase student engagement, foster peer collaboration, and improve learning outcomes. Award categories included specific disciplines, administrative roles, and a notable institutional award. The criteria focused on the real-world impact of social learning in classrooms, and the inventive ways educators leverage social annotation to deepen course comprehension and collaborative learning.

Hypothesis on the Power of Social Learning

Joe Ferraro, CEO of Hypothesis, emphasized the vital role of engagement in educational success: “We believe that student engagement is the foundation of academic success. Our winners and nominees today have not only embraced that belief but have also exemplified the power of social learning in driving meaningful, collaborative experiences in education.”

Kim Grewe, previous Institution-Wide award winner from Northern Virginia Community College, expressed her admiration for the capabilities of social annotation. “We believe in the power of social annotation for our online learners in particular,” Grewe said, noting that the tool has significantly boosted engagement, helping more students pass and progress in their studies.

Meet the 2024 Award Winners

The winners of the 2024 Social Learning Innovator Awards represent a wide range of disciplines and institutions, including:

• Humanities and Arts: Brandon Marshall, Contra Costa College
• Writing: Chip Gladson, Montgomery College, Maryland
• STEM: Melanie Lenahan, Raritan Valley Community College
• Health Science: Rachel Derr, Rutgers University – Camden
• Business and Economics: Dr. Larry C. Giunipero, Florida State University
• Social Sciences: Lyra Stein, Rutgers University – New Jersey
• Institutional Award: Sarah Riforgiate and Amy Mangrich, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
• Administrator: Dr. Ashley Love, University of Incarnate Word
• OER: Diana Fordham, Missouri Southern State University
• Pedagogy: Caroline T. Schroeder, University of Oklahoma
• AI: Eric Conrad, California State University – Stanislaus

The ceremony included valuable insights from these educators, who shared stories of how social learning has enhanced classroom interaction and teaching. The event concluded with a Q&A session, giving attendees the opportunity to learn from the innovative approaches of this year’s winners.

This article includes a client of an Espacio portfolio company.