Kahoot is an online game quiz that I learned about at the Learn 21 conference this year. Gamification is the new buzzword in Blended Learning, so there are many apps and websites that incorporate gaming into the classroom. I try many of them when I'm not overwhelmed with life and work, and Kahoot is a new one that has great potential.
There are many apps that use a quiz format for kill-and-drill. Quizlet is an early app that my students and I use to create online flashcards that students can study through quizzes like Space Race. My students and I like the app because they can share their flashcards online. One possible drawback to Quizlet might be that the quizzes are always individual. I believe that group activity in review adds excitement and relevance. This is where Kahoot comes in.
Kahoot allows any user who registers for a free account to create, save, and possibly share online quizzes (multiple choice format). It is important to note that a central screen/projector is necessary to play this game. The teacher goes to getkahoot.com to create and access his quizzes (or Kahoots).
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| This is the screen shot of my collection of Kahoots. |
He launches the Kahoot, and the students see a PIN, which they log into their devices after going to kahoot.it.
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| This is what the students see when they receive the PIN for the Kahoot. They enter this in their devices. |
Students log in with the PIN and they create user names to join the game. Note: if a student uses an inappropriate handle, the teacher can boot her with a click of the mouse. When all students have joined, the teacher starts the Kahoot, and the fun begins. Students read the question and possible answer choices off the main screen. Each answer choice is linked to a color (yellow, red, green, blue), and the student simply taps on the color of the correct answer on her device. The interesting part about this game is that the answer choices do not appear on the students' devices; they must look at the main screen to access the questions and the choices. This creates a group dynamic that is often missing when students use their devices for quizzes. Students must focus on one point together rather than look down at their screens individually. To reinforce this group dynamic, Kahoot flashes a leader board after every question. Students get points for the correct answer and for speed.
I have used Kahoot many times this semester, and the students have loved it every time. They discuss the questions and the answers, and I see a real motivation to get the correct answer and get on the leader board. The best part is that I have the students create my Kahoots after we play the initial game. They work in groups to create questions and answers for future Kahoots, which strengthens their review of the material and makes less work for me!
Give Kahoot a try--you may decide to replace some of your Jeopardy-style review games, and your students may be more motivated to learn together.
Stephani Itibrout
Blended Learning Rhetoric and Composition
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