Top Hat drives engagement and critical thinking through more than just discussion board alternatives like Packback. Our dynamic courseware gives you the digital tools for the classroom and beyond to spark discussion in class and after, and features interactive content and more than 14 question types to connect with students that learn in different ways.
Complete Learning
Top Hat features discussions and over 14 question types that can be leveraged before, during, or after class, allowing educators to get a more complete look at their students’ progress.
Packback offers class discussion and discussion-based polling.
True Engagement
Top Hat helps educators easily spark curiosity in students by creating course material in the form of questions, discussions, assignments, tests, and much more. Additionally, students and educators can use Class Threads to start conversations alongside assigned course materials. These digital tools for the classroom and beyond make it easier to drive student engagement in any course.
Packback relies on the student to create question content.
Seamless Presenting
With Top Hat, presentations and other course materials are uploaded to one central place. Educators can easily manage their course and students get access to everything, all in one place.
Packback does not offer any presentation capabilities.
Affordability
Top Hat provides students with access to an unlimited number of courses per semester for one low price.
Packback charges students on a per course basis.
of students say Top Hat helped them feel engaged in the learning process.
*Top Hat Spring 2024 Student Survey. n=21,033 students
Top Hat can be used on a variety of devices to make learning equitable and available for everyone. Plus, we designed our platform with accessibility top of mind, making it compatible with screen readers and offering keyboard navigation.
"Top Hat was so easy to use and truly helped me a lot. I appreciated getting to answer questions without consequences on my grade."
-Student from Sam Houston State University
Top Hat provides unparalleled support to professors. We offer a market-leading concierge service to convert your existing content into the Top Hat platform, while a dedicated instructional designer can help ensure you meet your course goals and ease your class prep.
We offer seamless integrations with all major LMS providers including Blackboard, Canvas, D2L Brightspace, Moodle and Sakai. The Top Hat gradebook houses digital interactions between instructors and students, including results from attendance, quizzes, tests, assignments, and participation, and is available in your LMS from the moment each semester begins.
“I use Top Hat to provide background material for challenging readings that students are expected to discuss in class. Students read the module and respond to questions before coming to class. Class discussions have become more insightful and lively because students have a better understanding.”
Vanessa Arnaud
Lecturer, French & Honors Program, California State University, Sacramento
"I use Top Hat primarily for discussions and questions to review material that I had just covered. I have also noticed more participation in class; my students love being able to use their smartphones."
Rick Lindner
Associate Professor, Communications, Georgia State University
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