TopHat

Overview

Tophat has emerged as a versatile tool designed to enhance classroom engagement and streamline the learning experience. Whether you are an educator looking to make your lectures more interactive or a student aiming to stay connected and engaged, TopHat offers a comprehensive suite of features to meet your needs.

TopHat is an education technology platform that aims to improve student engagement and learning outcomes through interactive content, real-time feedback, and seamless integration with existing educational frameworks. It offers a variety of tools that facilitate active learning, including interactive textbooks, polling and quizzing, homework and assignments, classroom discussions, and attendance tracking.

Basic Instructions for Using TopHat

Getting started with TopHat is straightforward. Here are the basic steps:

Sign up and set up your course:

• Visit the TopHat website and create an account
• Set up your course by adding details such as the course name, description, and schedule

Create content:

• Use TopHat’s content creation tools to design interactive lectures, quizzes, and assignments
• Embed multimedia elements like videos and images to enhance the material

Engage your students:

• During class, use live polls and quizzes to interact with students and assess their understanding in real-time
• Utilize the discussion feature to encourage student participation and peer learning

Monitor progress:

• Track attendance automatically and monitor student performance through TopHat’s analytics dashboard
• Provide instant feedback on quizzes and assignments to support student learning

Using TopHat in the Classroom

TopHat can significantly enhance the classroom experience by fostering a more interactive and engaging learning environment. Here are a few ways you might use it in your classroom:

Flipped classroom model:

• Assign interactive textbook readings and videos as homework, then use class time for discussions, problem-solving, and application of concepts

Real-time feedback:

• Conduct live polls and quizzes during lectures to gauge student understanding and adjust your teaching on the fly based on their responses

Collaborative learning:

• Use the discussion boards to facilitate group work and peer-to-peer learning, allowing students to engage with the material and each other outside of class time

Enhanced assessment:

• Create a variety of question types for quizzes and exams, including multiple-choice, short answer, and interactive questions to assess student learning more comprehensively

Tips for Using TopHat Effectively

• Instructors should familiarize themselves with TopHat’s features before the semester begins to ensure a smooth integration into their teaching routine
• Use polls and quizzes regularly to keep students engaged and make lectures more interactive
• Ensure students know how to access and use TopHat from the beginning of the course
• Regularly review the analytics dashboard to identify students who may need extra support and adjust your teaching strategies accordingly
• Use the discussion features to build a sense of community among students and encourage collaborative learning

SAMR MODEL FOR USAGE OF TOPHAT IN THE CLASSROOM

• Substitution: Ensuring all students have access to a gadget like a laptop or tablet and access to internet is the first step. Digital textbooks or textbooks come into play, replacing their physical counterparts. Top Hat also replaces traditional in-person assessments and assignments. 

• Augmentation: Teachers could include an interactive form to allow students to ask questions in advance so that they can be addressed in class before class or before an assessment or assignment is done

• Modification: Top Hat allows the teacher to create a gamified app that would increase student engagement. Traditional assignments can be modified by enabling students to be creative rather than a mere written submission, they now incorporate audio narrations complemented by personally curated musical backdrops. This encourages students to articulate their understanding and practice presentation skills

• Redefinition: Develop a data collection setting to assess students’ results for teacher use and adjust on specific students.