As you get your courses up and running this semester, here are two quick Top Hat tools to help you, and your students, start strong.

Complete Your ICON to Top Hat Integration

If you plan to use Top Hat this semester, be sure to complete the ICON to Top Hat integration so students can access your course correctly. Once the ICON integration is complete, ask students to access Top Hat at least once through the ICON link in the navigation bar to finalize their enrollment in your Top Hat course. 

This one-time access step ensures that students’ Top Hat accounts are properly connected to ICON, which prevents access issues and guarantees that grades flow smoothly into the ICON gradebook.

Top Hat Ace: AI-Supported Tools for Teaching and Learning

Top Hat Ace introduces a set of AI‑powered features designed to boost teaching and learning within the Top Hat platform. These tools are optional, instructor-controlled, and can be enabled on a course-by-course‑basis through Advanced Course Settings. 

Ace supports student learning and instructional efficiency:

For Students

• Ace Study Assistant: Helps students review material, ask content specific‑questions, and receive contextual explanations based on the content you add to your course. Students can also rate responses and manage their chat history.
• Ace Practice: Automatically generates multiple choice practice questions from your course materials, giving students a low stakes way to check understanding. These practice sessions provide instant feedback and do not impact grades.

For Instructors

• Ace Lecture Enhancer: Quickly generates editable multiple choice and discussion questions from your slide decks.
• Ace Content Enhancer: Imports PDFs into Top Hat Pages and identifies accessibility issues, making it easier to create accessible, interactive course materials.