Log into Top Hat to create an instructor account. Visit the Top Hat Quick Start Guide for steps to prepare course content, get students enrolled, and tips on how to use Top Hat inside and outside the classroom.

Contact the ITS Help Desk if you have any other questions about getting started with Top Hat. Top Hat Support is also available online and via phone. Top Hat also provides one-on-one training sessions for instructors who are interested in learning more or making the switch from other student response systems. Registration links to all Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology Top Hat trainings can be found on the events page.

No, instructor licenses are free.

See our comparison feature page for more details.

The Office of Teaching, Learning, and Technology periodically offers trainings on Top Hat and has a monthly Top Hat user group during the fall and spring semesters. You can check out upcoming trainings and recordings of past trainings (need links). You can also contact the ITS Help Desk to set up an individual training.

The Top Hat website had these instructions for adding TAs and instructors to your course. If a TA requires a student account for some classes, and a Professor one for others, please contact the ITS Help Desk, and we will work with Top Hat to set up both accounts.

Do not use Top Hat with protected health information as defined under HIPAA.

In general, Top Hat is fully accessible for students with disabilities. It is however possible for instructors to create materials within Top Hat that are not accessible for students with disabilities. For more information, check out Top Hat's guide to Utilizing Top Hat with Accessibility.

Top Hat can be ordered through the ICON Direct order tool.

Please indicate in your syllabus that you will be using Top Hat and inform students how it will be used The opt-out method is the same as other ICON Direct Materials.

The Office of the Registrar's deadline for ordering of course materials is four weeks prior to the start of classes. If your class has not begun yet, please contact ICON-Direct@uiowa.edu.

The cost of a Top Hat license is included in the textbook cost.

There are three ways you can present content in Top Hat.

• Upload slides to Top Hat. You can upload PowerPoint slides to Top Hat, embed  questions between them, and present from Top Hat.
• Use the Presentation Tool with PowerPoint. This tool floats over your desktop and allows you to access Top Hat content quickly. You can download and install the Presentation Tool to your device or contact the Help Desk to have it installed on a University computer. 
• Switch between Top Hat in your browser and PowerPoint.