Getting My Students Started (LMS-connected courses)

This guide is for instructors who have connected their Squarecap course to the course in their Learning Management System (LMS, e.g. Blackboard, Sakai, etc.). To do so, Squarecap has to be approved as an integrated tool at your institution. If that hasn't happened (or if you're not sure it's happened yet), just email [e-mail] with a request for integration.

Instructors may copy the following into their course syllabus and tailor it to their course. You can also download a PDF of these instructions.

Squarecap Student Guide

Squarecap is a classroom response application that your instructor will be using during your course for in-class Q&A and verifying your attendance.

Accessing Squarecap

1. Log in to your school's Learning Management System (LMS, e.g. Blackboard, Sakai)
2. Navigate to the course you're using Squarecap for
3. Under your course's content or material, click the Squarecap link. This link will appear within the left-hand sidebar, or within the Content tab for the course
   • If you haven't created a Squarecap account yet, Squarecap will automatically create one for you using the data it receives from your LMS
   • If you have created a Squarecap account using the email or school user ID associated with your LMS account, Squarecap will ask you to sign in to confirm
4. Clicking on the Squarecap link will automatically register you for your required Squarecap course, and will link your LMS account to your Squarecap account for grade upload

Note: Every time your teacher creates a new Squarecap link, you'll have to click that link to ensure that your grades are uploaded properly.

Managing your course enrollments

Clicking the Squarecap link within your course will automatically enroll you in that course in Squarecap. If you're using Squarecap in multiple classes, you'll have to click the Squarecap link within each course to register for that course.

Managing your subscription

Squarecap is free to use for the first two weeks of the semester. After the 12th class day, if your course requires a Squarecap subscription, you can subscribe by logging into the website and clicking Settings > Manage Subscription.  

Note: Squarecap subscriptions cannot be purchased from within our mobile app. 

There are several options for subscribing:

1. You can purchase a one-semester, one-year, or four-year subscription on the website using a credit/debit card. Note that all our subscriptions are just a one-time purchase with no recurring billing. One subscription covers access for an unlimited number of courses each semester. 
   • 1 Semester - $12 - 5 months of unlimited access
   • 1 Year - $20 - 12 months of unlimited access
   • 4 Years - $50 - 4 years of unlimited access
2. If you have an access code for Squarecap, click Input Access Code at the bottom of the subscription page and enter the 16-digit alphanumeric code. Access codes are pre-programmed for a specific duration (e.g. one-semester, one-year) and are for one-time use only. Your campus bookstore may carry access cards for Squarecap.
   • If you're using a textbook from Cengage Learning or W.W. Norton, your class syllabus will indicate whether Squarecap is available bundled with your textbook.  If so, you have the option to purchase a textbook bundle which includes a Squarecap access code. This code will be given to you electronically or physically depending on how you purchased it. If you purchased a physical textbook, the access code may be located within the front or back of your textbook.
3. If your course uses Norton Inclusive Access, your Inclusive Access enrollment may come with a Squarecap subscription. This will be indicated in either your class syllabus and/or the purchase page for Inclusive Access. During the add/drop period for your course, you’ll have the option to either pay for Inclusive Access or opt out. If you opt out, you will have to purchase Squarecap using option 1 or 2.

Using Squarecap in class

Always Use Classroom Wi-Fi: Make sure your device is connected to classroom Wi-Fi prior to logging into Squarecap. Your instructor has the option to flag students who aren't on the Wi-Fi network and can deny credit to those students. If you have been flagged for attendance, you will see a message on your screen as soon as the Squarecap session is finished, and you'll have to see the instructor after class in order to verify your attendance.

Join code: If your instructor is using a join code for attendance, they'll display a 6-digit alphanumeric code to you in class. You'll have to enter that code to be counted for attendance.

Seat map: If your instructor is using the seat map feature, you'll be prompted to select your seat after you enter a Squarecap session. Tap your seat to select it. Or, if your seat map has seat numbers, enter your seat number at the top.

Participate in Q & A: When you click on the Q&A icon, you will see questions appear as soon as your teacher starts them. You will be able to answer the question until the timer runs out or your teacher finishes the question. To move between questions, scroll up or down. Make sure you receive the confirmation message “Answer Choice Saved” for every question you answer. If you see “Failed to Save”, refresh the page and try again.

Ask & Vote: If your teacher has enabled Ask & Vote, you can ask questions at any point during the session, vote on questions that other students ask, and reply to questions with answers or feedback. Questions are anonymous to your classmates, but your teacher can choose to identify you or block you if you input off-topic questions. 

Troubleshooting: If something isn't working properly, try the following:

• If you're using a web browser, try:
  • Using Google Chrome instead of Safari or Microsoft Edge
  • Refreshing your browser page 
  • Logging out and logging back in
  • Clearing your browser's cache
• If you're using our mobile app, try:
  • Closing and reopening the app 
  • Logging out and logging back in
  • Uninstalling and reinstalling the app

If the issue still isn't fixed, email [e-mail] with a description of the issue, or visit our support site at https://support.squarecap.com.

Thank you for using Squarecap!