Brock University has not chosen an official classroom response technology. However, many different classroom response technologies are being used across the campus by our faculty, staff and students.

Generally, these technologies are used for formative feedback reasons, but have been employed for both low- and high-stakes testing across the campus. The Centre for Pedagogical Innovation can consult on the use of classroom response devices and encourage best practices with their use. However, technical issues with a specific technology should be addressed to the support departments of the respective technology vendor.

Top Hat

Top Hat is a teaching response platform that helps professors engage their students inside and outside the classroom. It is a software based “Clicker” and digital distribution platform which students access via their existing personal devices (phones, tablets, laptops).

Through an Approved Vendor agreement between Brock University and Top Hat, Brock students receive a discount when purchasing Top Hat Classroom licenses.

Activate Top Hat within your Brightspace course site via Content > Add Existing > External Tool Activity.

Point Solutions (previously TurningPoint)

Point Solutions is a software and/or hardware-based solution for student engagement and evaluation, both during and after class. Students respond with the option of hardware or software based “Clickers”, which work in conjunction with an instructor base station. The software can be accessed by students through the use of their existing personal devices such as Phones, Tablets, and any Computer.

Brock University Students receive a discount when purchasing clickers or software licenses at the bookstore, or online.

Activate Point Solutions within your Brightspace course site via Content > Add Existing > External Tool Activity.

iClicker

iClicker is a hardware-based or mobile app-based solution for classroom polling and evaluation.

Other Services

Other services and smartphone-based solutions are available. Brock University will not disclose student information on behalf of students without an agreement on the care of private information.

Instructors may ask students to input their own information into 3rd party services. Students should consider the conditions they are agreeing to and not agree to anything they are not comfortable with.

Related ways of getting real-time feedback from students digitally

• Polls in Teams Any course using Brightspace can add an MS Teams site. Teams are available on almost all platforms.  Polls can be conducted in a meeting OR on the “General” channel means students don’t need to join a meeting just be inside the team to get the polls.

• MS Forms either stand-alone or embedded into powerpoint works (mostly) fairly well. You have to use the web version of PowerPoint and it does not work in teams (unless you screen share).