Top Hat is a classroom response system, where students can submit answers to in-class questions using Apple or Android smartphones and tablets, laptops, or through text message. This article explains how faculty can add the Top Hat Plugin tool to their Canvas course site.
Audience
This article is intended for faculty.
Platform
Top Hat Student Response System
Downloading the Presentation Tool
1. Log in to TopHat.
2. Go to your course lobby. When you log in to Top Hat, you may automatically be in one of your courses. To get to your course lobby, click the X on the top left corner of the page.
3. Click on Tools & Apps on the top left of the screen when in your course lobby.
4. Click Download and follow the instructions on screen.
Using the Presentation Tool
The presentation tool offers a simplified version of the Top Hat interface for class time. The smaller window makes it easier to toggle between windows and applications while presenting material, and the presentation tool will remain on the top layer of your window arrangement.
There are three icons at the top of the presentation tool.
The first icon, the chat bubble, is for creating a question for the class on the spot. You have the option to ask a multiple choice question, short answer question, or for a numeric answer.
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The second icon, the person raising a hand, is for taking attendance. A new code will be generated and displayed each time the button is clicked, so make sure you leave the window open for as long as you want to leave attendance open. Attendance can be taken at any time during class that you click on this icon. Students that have the app open on their device will be prompted to enter the code or they can text the number on the screen.
The third icon, the arrow pointing down, will minimize your presentation tool to an even smaller window that you can place in a corner of the screen to avoid blocking any of the content on the other windows behind it.
To begin your presentation, click on the first slide in your presentation and click the blue "present" button that shows up. This will automatically make your presentation full screen.
If you click on any of the icons in the top right while in presentation mode, it will minimize the presentation, but when you click out of that task, the presentation will automatically fill the screen again.
Once you begin your presentation, the three icons in the top right will remain available for quick questions, attendance, and the option to minimize the screen without ending the presentation. At the bottom of the window in the center, a pen icon expands when clicked on to reveal on screen annotation options. The annotations will remain on the presentation slides until cleared, even after closing the presentation or logging out of Top Hat.
Below is a close up of the expanded on screen annotation tool. You have the option of choosing the color of the marks, thickness of the lines, undo, and clear.
