Case Study: Macquarie University boosts student engagement with Top Hat Textbook

Macquarie University boosts student engagement with Top Hat’s interactive textbook for 1,800 psychology students

Macquarie University's Dr. Mem Mahmut faced a challenge with student engagement and sustainability in his large Introductory Psychology course. The hard copy textbook was expensive, often unused, and did not allow for efficient tracking of whether students were reading the material. He sought a solution from vendor Top Hat using their Top Hat Textbook product to address these issues.

The solution implemented by Top Hat was an interactive, customizable digital textbook. It allowed lecturers to embed quizzes directly into the chapters, enabling students to test their knowledge while reading. The results showed a clear increase in student engagement, with Dr. Mahmut receiving more questions and comments from students specifically referencing the textbook readings and quizzes. Top Hat also provided a more affordable and sustainable option for students.

Macquarie University