Top Hat is a student engagement platform used in class to drive discussions, take live polls, and give students real-time feedback. Outside of class, use Top Hat to create or customize interactive content. Top Hat is DeGroote School of Business and Faculty of Engineering’s supported tool for student response and is available to faculty and students in those schools at no additional cost.

Access this video for an overview of what you can do with the Top Hat platform.

While Top Hat offers many features to help you incorporate formative assessment into different aspects of your course, most start by using a few impactful features and adapt over time. A great place to start engaging your students in class is by presenting slides and gaining feedback through interactive questions. The guides below offer instructions on how you can get started with building some basics in your Top Hat course.

Resources for Instructors

• Top Hat Success Center
  (Top Hat’s searchable knowledge base for any and all questions for faculty and students)Creating An Account, Courses & Copying Content
  • Creating a Top Hat Account
  • Creating a Course (Copy Content, Import Existing Content, Cloning Courses)
  • Copying Content Within or Between Courses

  Classroom:

  • Uploading and Managing Slides
  • Video: Upload and Edit Slides 
  • Question Types and Links on How to Create
  • Video: Our Interactive Question Types 
  • Creating Discussions 
  • Video: Interactive Discussions 
  • Presenting Slides and Questions
  • Taking Attendance
  • Video: Taking Attendance 

  Interactive Assignments:

  • Assigning Content For Outside Class
  • Video: Assigning Content 
  • Top Hat Pages Overview
  • Video: Create an Interactive Top Hat Page

Removing Paywall from Top Hat Course

To take advantage of the department’s adoption of Top Hat, please email our dedicated Top Hat representative Sumi Voora  (sumi.voora@tophatmonocle.com) or the Top Hat Support Team (support@tophat.com) with your course’s six-digit join code (see image below). They will ensure that the paywall associated with your course is removed.

Each Top Hat course has a unique 6-digit identifier called the Join Code. You can see the course Join Code in the upper left-hand corner of your Top Hat course beside the course name.

Resources for Students

• Student Getting Started Guide
• Answering Top Hat Questions
• Assignments, Homework and Textbook Pages
• Knowledge Base

Top Hat Support

Please note that payment is not required to access Top Hat courses offered through the DeGroote School of Business (unless there is a textbook required). If you are prompted for payment, please contact the Top Hat support team.

• Knowledge Base
• Student Quick Start Guide
• Student Course Enrollment from Avenue to Learn
• Video: Contacting Top Hat Support
• Answering Top Hat Questions
• Assignments, Homework and Textbook Page
• Student mobile app for iOS
• Student mobile app for Android
• Submitting Attendance
• Video: How to Submit Secure Attendance 
• Checking Grades
• Video: Checking Your Grades
• Updating your Email Address on Top Hat

DeGroote Support

• The Top Hat support team is available to support both faculty and students with technical issues, you can reach them via:
  • Top Hat Support
  • Live Chat
  • Email: support@tophat.com
  • Phone: 1-888-663-5491

  Please note that payment is not required to access Top Hat courses offered through the DeGroote School of Business & Faculty of Engineering (unless there is a required Top Hat textbook). Please contact the Top Hat support team if your students are prompted for payment.