Top Hat Retirement: Alternatives to Top Hat for Attendance and Student Engagement

Description 

Ohio University will retire Top Hat when the contract ends in January of 2027. Top Hat’s most common uses were for polling and attendance. This article outlines recommended alternatives that you can use to support your instructional goals for these cases. 

• OIT Instructional Technologists are available to help you evaluate tools that support your teaching strategies. Schedule a consultation.  
• Users can continue contacting Top Hat Support for assistance until January 30th, 2027.

Environment

Canvas LMS, Mac, PC, web browser 

Solution: Recommended Alternatives by Teaching Need 

Instructors use a range of approaches to track attendance, encourage participation, and support secure assessments depending on course modality, class size, instructional goals, and technology preferences. Canvas and its related tools support multiple approaches, from simple in‑person roll taking to flexible online check‑ins, live polling, and high‑stakes exam proctoring.

The options below are grouped by primary use case and highlight tool capabilities and what type of course it may fit best. No single tool fits every scenario; instead, instructors are encouraged to select the approach that best aligns with how attendance, participation, or exam security is defined in their course. The table that follows summarizes each option, when it works best, and key considerations to help guide that choice.

Consider consulting with an instructional technologist to further explore which tool best fits your instructional goals. If you wish to pursue an alternative tool not supported currently by OIT, please submit a Technology Review to ensure the tool meets accessibility, security, and other essential considerations before using it for instructional activities. 

For instructors leveraging Top Hat's publisher content, we encourage you to explore the variety of resources available through University Libraries or to review options through the Inclusive Access - Digital Course Materials program. You can also develop and share your own content in your courses using Canvas's Pages, Files, and Modules capabilities.

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1. Attendance Tracking - Comparison Table

Here are actionable strategies instructors can use regardless of which tools they choose. 

General Efficiency Tips 

• Reuse content week‑to‑week. Duplicate quizzes, discussions, and assignments instead of creating from scratch. 

• Create weekly attendance/participation bundles. Instead of one quiz per class session, use one weekly quiz with multiple prompts. 

• Use auto‑grading wherever possible. Canvas Quizzes and Microsoft Forms both support auto‑scoring and instant recording. 

• Use clear, consistent naming conventions. Example: “Week 3 — Attendance Check” or “Participation Quiz — Module 5.” 

Large Enrollment Tips

• Use question banks or item pools to randomize attendance/password questions. 

• Apply rubrics on discussions to speed up grading. 

• Export poll/quiz data to Excel for faster bulk processing (e.g., Teams Polls). 

• Use bulk grade import in Canvas to avoid entering scores one by one. 

In-Person Tips: Attendance Taking

• For quizzes or Forms, display a one‑time code in class to prevent remote submissions. 

• Use short availability windows ("open for 10 minutes") to reduce academic integrity issues. 

Online Synchronous Tips 

• Schedule recurring polls in Teams so they’re ready before class. 

• Auto‑open quizzes at the start of a meeting using Canvas' availability settings. 

Asynchronous Teaching Tips 

• Allow weekly windows for attendance check‑ins. 

• Use graded discussions with rubrics to minimize individual comment review time. 

Microsoft 365‑Centric Tips 

• Store recurring Forms in a Forms group to reuse templates across semesters. 

• Use Excel exports to batch review, then bring grades into Canvas in one upload. 

Get Help From Canvas

• Live chat with Canvas support (Faculty)  

• Get 24-hours/7-days a week Canvas support   

• Dial the Canvas Support Hotline number located under "Get Help" in the Canvas Global Navigation Menu  

• Contact OIT at 740-593-1222 for questions related to logging in, test courses/manually created courses, or tools that connect to Canvas.

Get Help from OIT

• Use the Live Student Response System: Top Hat ticket form to submit a help ticket  

• Visit the Technology Resources and Training page for available training  

Additional Resources  

• Canvas Basics Guide  

• Canvas Instructor Guide  

• Canvas Video Guide  

• Mobile Guides  

• Canvas Course Accessibility Checklist 

• Canvas LMS Implementation updates 

• Canvas Experts Corner Blog 

Accessibility

Ohio University strives to make its digital resources and services accessible to all visitors, including those with disabilities who may also be using assistive technology. If special steps are necessary in order to improve the accessibility of experiences for end-users, those steps must be taken.  
 
If you experience a barrier that affects your ability to access OHIO websites, videos, online forums, documents, or other information technology, please let us know.  
For further information about OHIO's digital accessibility resources, see:  

• Digital Accessibility  

• Office for University Accessibility  

• Student Accessibility Services  

• Ohio University's IT Accessibility Policy  

Security

The Ohio University Information Security Office strives to educate and empower the University community to appropriately manage risks and protect OHIO’s information and systems. This effort is facilitated through policies, standards, and information security risk management program, as well as other tools and guidance that are provided to the University community. This modern approach creates a safe computing environment in which the University community can teach, learn, and conduct research.  

For additional information about OHIO’s security resources, see:  

• Resources for students  

• Resources for faculty and staff  

• Resources for researchers