Squarecap
Classroom engagement tool for attendance, quizzes, and peer instruction
About Squarecap
Squarecap is a classroom response and engagement platform created by an award-winning professor at UT Austin. It enables teachers to take attendance, deliver live quizzes, facilitate anonymous Q&A, and automatically group students for peer instruction — all through students' own devices with no clickers needed.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free for teachers and teaching assistants with no setup costs
- Students use their own phones — no expensive clickers or extra hardware needed
- Anonymous Ask & Vote encourages participation from hesitant students
- Automatic peer instruction grouping creates diverse learning groups with strong results
- Seamless LMS integration with automatic grade syncing
Cons
- Students must pay for a subscription after the free trial period
- Primarily focused on higher education — limited K-12 adoption
- Requires reliable internet/WiFi in the classroom for all students
- Smaller ecosystem compared to established competitors like iClicker or Top Hat
Key Features
Live Quizzes & Polls
Deploy comprehension checks, polls, and quizzes during class with instant question-by-question feedback
Automatic Attendance
Track daily attendance automatically as students participate in class activities
Ask & Vote Forum
Anonymous student-generated discussion forum where students post and vote on questions without fear of embarrassment
Peer Instruction Grouping
Automatically group students for peer discussions based on their quiz responses and understanding levels
Seat Map
Visual bird's-eye view of classroom seating with student self-reported positions and response data overlay
LMS Integration
Integrates with every major learning management system with automatic grade uploads to LMS grade books
Online Homework
Create and automatically grade online homework assignments outside of class time
Zoom Integration
Full support for online and hybrid teaching with Zoom integration for remote classroom engagement
Pricing
- Unlimited classes
- All engagement features
- LMS integration
- Analytics dashboard
- TA access included
- 2-week free trial
- Access to all class activities
- Mobile app (iOS & Android)
- Textbook bundle discounts available
- Campus-wide licensing
- Department licensing
- K-12 and Higher Ed options
- Volume discounts
- Dedicated support
Best For
University Lectures
Engage large lecture halls with live polls, comprehension checks, and instant feedback on student understanding
Flipped Classrooms
Verify pre-class preparation and focus in-class time on areas where students struggle most
Online & Hybrid Teaching
Maintain engagement in remote settings with Zoom integration and real-time participation tracking
Active Learning
Facilitate peer instruction and collaborative learning through automated grouping and anonymous discussion
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