Case Study: University of New Haven simplifies online teaching with Top Hat

Simplifying the Switch to Online Teaching with Interactive Content and Courseware

The University of New Haven, where Criminal Justice lecturer Daniel Maxwell teaches, needed a better way to support learning as classes moved online during COVID-19. Students were struggling with an expensive, disconnected textbook experience that didn’t align well with class content, and Maxwell wanted more engaging, relevant materials to support his flipped-classroom approach. Top Hat provided the interactive courseware and digital textbook platform he was looking for.

With Top Hat, Maxwell authored customizable course materials with built-in assessments, used live questions and discussions to keep students engaged, and monitored reading completion and participation remotely. The results were strong: students saved up to $150 per semester on course materials, and quiz scores improved by an average of 7%—with Maxwell reporting that classes were doing better by a full point across the board.

University of New Haven

Daniel Maxwell

Lecturer, Criminal Justice Department