Top Hat

Top Hat is a web-based software tool instructors can use to take attendance, administer polls and quizzes, play games and share notes. Students can use their laptops, phones or tablets to participate.

Top Hat is UB's preferred and integrated partner in this educational tool space.

Features

If an instructor is using Top Hat in a course:

  • The instructor and the students must have Top Hat accounts.
  • Students also need to purchase a subscription.
  • Upload your slides, add annotations and interactive questions.
  • Take attendance effortlessly and accurately using geolocation technology.
  • Launch discussions and get real-time feedback and reports.
  • UB Learns integration allows professors to sync grading and class roster information between the two systems.
  • Securely administer tests and quizzes in a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) environment (additional student fee).
  • UB students receive a discount when they purchase a Top Hat license.

Top Hat Accounts

You can use your UBITName credentials to access your Top Hat account. The instructions will vary slightly depending on whether or not you are brand new to Top Hat or if you've previously created a Top Hat account.

If you need to create a Top Hat account

Top Hat has created a document to help instructors create new accounts.

If you already have a Top Hat account

  1. Go to tophat.com using your computer (note: you must use a web browser; you cannot use a mobile app).
  2. Click the Login link in the top-right corner of the page.
  3. You may see University at Buffalo SUNY in the School field. If not, begin typing and click the University at Buffalo SUNY link from the drop-down list.
  4. Click Log in with school account.
  5. Use your UBITName and password to log in.

Top Hat Integration with UB Learns (Brightspace)

Top Hat's advanced integration allows instructors to sync grading and class roster information between the Top Hat and UB Learns. Top Hat designed the integration to help ease student registration and onboarding as well as enable instructors to send grades from Top Hat to UB Learns easily.

Some of Top Hat's documentation refers to Brightspace's New UI or New Content Experience. UB is using Brightspace's Classic Experience.

The main difference is Modules in the Classic Experience are called Units in the New Content Experience.

  • Launch
    • Provide students a link to their Top Hat course from the LMS
  • Roster Sync
    • Automatically syncs your LMS roster to Top Hat and keeps it up to date
  • Deep Linking
    • Link students directly to the Top Hat content they are responsible for
  • Grade Sync
    • Manually sync grades as needed
    • Automatically sync grades for deep-linked content

Contact Top Hat

New users

If you are a new user of Top Hat, please contact Kevin Shaw, one of UB's dedicated Top Hat support representatives.

Top Hat Customer Success Manager

UB also has an assigned customer success manager to help answer instructor questions.

Additional Top Hat Services

Top Hat Test Resources

Securely administer tests and quizzes in a bring-your-own-device (BYOD) environment using Top Hat's proprietary lock-out capabilities. Additional license fees are required for student use.

  • Before the test
    Best practices to consider before running a test in Top Hat for the first time.
  • During the test
    Step-by-step instructions on managing your proctor report effectively and monitoring student activity while administering a test.
  • After the test
    Best practices for after you administer a test in Top Hat, including how to hand back your test.

Access to the Marketplace Test Pack

If you need access to the Marketplace Test pack, please email Top Hat's support team (support@tophat.com) using the following template:

Hello,

Please enable Marketplace access for my Top Hat account. The email address associated with my professor account is (your email address).

The join codes for my courses are (your codes).

Thank you. 

Additional Resources