How Top Hat Helped Boost Student Enrollment During the Pandemic

The Solution

An interactive digital textbook is a foundation for engaging students, outside the classroom and in

One of the most important factors working in McNichols’ favor was her use of an interactive digital textbook—Human Sexuality in a Diverse Society—which she co-authored with colleague Matt Numer. The content is served up in bite-sized chunks and includes videos, podcasts and links to articles, as well as comprehension-based questions sprinkled throughout each chapter. The guiding principle is to get students to read a little, then do a little. The use of video is especially powerful. “It makes the course concepts that much more real when you can hear from someone who has lived experience with what you’re learning about,” Nguyen says. 

Beyond engaging students asynchronously, the in-line questions from homework readings not only make for effective learning, but also give McNichols insights into how students are connecting with the material. This allows her to tailor class time by zeroing in on concepts requiring further clarification. 

With the interactive textbook as a foundation, students take part in a flipped classroom model for synchronous learning. To foster community and connection, McNichols makes regular use of interactive polling, quizzes and discussions, the same way she does when teaching in person. Allowing students to share their perspectives anonymously using Top Hat’s discussion feature has kept participation sky high. “With Professor McNichols, I felt I was never passively listening to a lecture,” says Nguyen. “Instead, I was hearing something and engaging and really forming opinions through my own lens.” Outside of class, students stay connected with each other and can seek help using Top Hat’s interactive discussions tied directly to the course.