Top Hat

Grades. Requirements. Deadlines. Getting the right answer. Checking the right boxes.

They’re such familiar parts of higher education that we rarely stop to ask a more fundamental question: are they actually helping students learn in meaningful ways?

In our latest Higher Listenings, Dr. Susan Blum challenges us to rethink some of the structures we take for granted—and consider what might happen if we designed less around “doing school” and more around learning itself.

Listen now: https://tophat.com/teaching-resources/podcast/?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast&utm_content=susan-blum

We're honored to share that Top Hat has been named one of TIME's World's Top EdTech Companies 2026!🎉

This marks the second time we've earned this recognition, highlighting our continued commitment to helping educators create more engaging, active and meaningful learning experiences.

A heartfelt thank you to our customers, partners and team members who make this possible.

Read more: https://bit.ly/45fY39A

Teaching is at its best when students are engaged, connected and excited to learn. 🌼

That's why we've partnered with renowned educator and author Flower Darby to create a free 90 min Learning Lab filled with practical, evidence-based strategies you can use to foster deeper participation, stronger belonging and more meaningful learning—whether you teach online, in person or both.

Enroll for free and earn a certificate for faculty development: https://tophat.com/teaching-resources/toolkits-and-how-to-guides/learning-lab-flower-darby/?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=video

Students learn more when they're curious. But how do we cultivate curiosity in today's classroom?

Watch Todd Zakrajsek unpack this topic at Top Hat Summer Camp 2026 next Thursday, June 18. You'll leave with actionable strategies you can bring back to your courses right away.

Save your spot: https://tophat.com/events/summer-camp-2026/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic

What if AI could help students engage more deeply with readings instead of helping them avoid them?

In this episode of "Intentional Teaching," Professor Jessa Roisen shares how she uses AI-powered activities in Top Hat to make philosophy readings more active, and engaging. Students role-play conversations with characters from the text, teach concepts back to AI chatbots, and explore ideas through examples tailored to their own interests.

It’s a thoughtful example of using AI to help students wrestle with complex ideas in more meaningful ways.

🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Derek Bruff: https://intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/episodes/19191897-supporting-student-reading-with-jessa-roisen-and-donna-battista

“Read Chapter 3” sounds simple enough. But for many students, making sense of complex readings requires more structure and support along the way.

In this episode of "Intentional Teaching," Professor Jessa Roisen shares how she uses Top Hat to help students engage more deeply with difficult texts. Instead of assigning 25 pages and hoping for the best, she embeds questions directly into the reading to help students pause, reflect and process key ideas as they go.

It’s a smart, practical rethink of what the reading experience can look like.🎧 Listen to the full conversation with Derek Bruff: https://intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/episodes/19191897-supporting-student-reading-with-jessa-roisen-and-donna-battista

As the semester comes to a close, the real impact of teaching is just beginning.

To the instructors who sparked curiosity, challenged thinking, and made learning stick, this is your moment, too. Because students leave with more than knowledge. They leave with confidence, questions and possibility.

Here's a small reminder of the impact educators make every single day — with love from Top Hat.