Elevating Student Interaction in Wellness Education

Karen Stylianides 

Associate Teaching Professor of Kinesiology 

Department of Health and Human Development 

Penn State Hazleton 

Karen has been using Top Hat for about 4-5 years, starting as part of a pilot program. She has effectively utilized Top Hat in two of her classes: KINES 72 – Walking for Fitness and KINES 81 – Wellness Theory. Karen uses different features in Top Hat to enhance student engagement by incorporating interactive elements. In addition, because her classes are hybrid, Karen uses specific features in Top Hat, such as attendance taking and presentation review, to effectively manage her classes.  

Top Hat Implementation 

Attendance and Class Management: In both her Wellness Theory and Walking for Fitness classes, Karen uses Top Hat for managing attendance. This digital approach eliminates the need for traditional, paper-based methods, streamlining the process and saving valuable class time. Particularly in the Walking for Fitness class, the quick and efficient attendance feature allows more time for actual walking activities. Karen even sets up the attendance code before class for a smoother start. 

Interactive Lectures: Karen integrates her PowerPoint slides into Top Hat, which makes her lectures more seamless and interactive. After classes, she assigns the PowerPoint presentations in Top Hat as review materials. This allows students to access and revisit the lecture content at their convenience, reinforcing their understanding outside the classroom. 

Engagement Techniques: One innovative approach Karen uses is starting classes with a daily question, where students click an icon to express how they’re feeling. This anonymous method encourages openness and helps students transition their focus to the class content. Karen also uses interactive quizzes and discussion boards during lectures. This serves as a way to check students’ understanding of the material in a low-pressure environment, and Karen allows students to vote on each other’s responses in a discussion question, which further promotes critical thinking and peer learning. 

Impact and Outcomes 

Karen finds Top Hat to be a great tool with many benefits, especially during the transition to online learning due to the pandemic. She finds Top Hat to be user friendly, especially for those who already have their presentations organized. The ability to upload slides directly into Top Hat makes the transition smoother. Additionally, she appreciates the feature that allows her to revisit old courses, retrieve specific questions, or reuse presentations. This capability of accessing and reusing material from previous years provides a significant advantage because it facilitates efficient course preparation and adaptation to online teaching.

Best Practices 

Gradual Introduction to Features: Karen emphasizes starting with basic functionalities, such as the attendance feature. This approach allows instructors to become comfortable with the platform without feeling overwhelmed. Once familiar with basic features, Karen suggests gradually incorporating more complex functionalities, such as interactive elements and tests. This step-by-step approach helps both the instructor and students adapt smoothly to the technology. 

Adapting to Technology: Karen recommends patience and adaptability while getting accustomed to Top Hat. Understanding each feature’s potential and how it can enhance the teaching and learning experience is key to successful implementation. It’s also very crucial to scaffold the introduction of Top Hat to students, particularly the Canvas integration. This method ensures students are comfortably onboarded onto the platform, reducing initial technical hurdles and enhancing their engagement from the start.