What is Top Hat?
Top Hat is an engagement platform that empowers educators to incorporate active learning into every area of their course.
Instructors use Top Hat during class to drive discussions, take live polls, and give students real-time feedback on how well they understand course concepts. Outside of class, Top Hat enables instructors to adopt and personalize interactive content, assignments, and assessments.
Top Hat also offers services such as group training, individual consultation, and instructional design support to help faculty achieve their desired course outcomes.
University of Central Arkansas has partnered with Top Hat to provide their engagement platform to our faculty, students, and staff at no additional cost to you. In courses where the instructor uses a Top Hat Textbook or other content for a fee, students will be asked to pay for access during the registration process.
Costs for students:
Please note that Top Hat is not free for students. A one-semester license that can be used in multiple classes costs $24 per student. There is also the option to purchase a five-year undergraduate license for $81 per student, although there is not yet a mechanism in place for students to know to purchase this if they will be using Top Hat in multiple semesters while at UCA.
1 semester: $24
1-year license: $41
5-year undergraduate license: $81
NOTE: If a faculty member requires access to TopHat for their students, it must be included on the UCA Bookstore textbook order forms.
“Since adding Top Hat I have noticed a strong improvement in my course participation and student comprehension of key concepts.”
-Lea Ann Norton, Family & Consumer Sciences
Top Hat Solutions
In addition you also get access to Top Hat’s gradebook to record and track student responses across in-class questions and discussions, homework assignments, quizzes, and tests.
Top Hat Classroom
Top Hat Classroom allows you to:
- Leverage students’ devices in class to increase participation
- Upload your slides easily and embed interactive questions
- Automate attendance, participation tracking, and grading
- Involve every student in live discussions
- Gauge student comprehension through real-time feedback
Top Hat Assignment
Top Hat Assignment allows you to:
- Easily create, assign, and customize auto-graded homework
- Provide additional support by personalizing homework questions with hints and feedback
- Provide low-stakes learning options by assigning ungraded homework via Review mode
Watch this video to learn how to create and facilitate a secure Top Hat assignment in your course.
Top Hat Test
Top Hat Test allows you to:
- Securely administer quizzes, tests, and exams in a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) environment
- Prevent cheating through behavioral algorithms that monitor student activity patterns
- Review real-time proctor reports
- Auto-grade exams in seconds, with results made available in your gradebook
Watch this video to learn how to create and facilitate a secure Top Hat Test in your course.
Top Hat Textbook
Top Hat Textbook allows you to:
- Easily adopt and customize high quality and interactive textbooks and course materials
- Embed questions and assessments to gauge student comprehension
- Keep information relevant and up-to-date
- Make education more affordable for your students with a free or low-cost solution
Watch this video to learn how to integrate a Top Hat textbook into your course.
To schedule a personalized demonstration or learn more about implementing Top Hat in your course, please email Top Hat’s dedicated Education Technology Specialist, Kees Weese, who will get in touch with you.