Imagine your students begging for more vocabulary review. That is exactly what happens each time I use Kahoot! in the classroom. If you are unaware of Kahoot, it is an interactive website that turns students’ devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets) into a student response system. Questions and answer choices are displayed from your projector, and students are able to respond to the questions by using by tapping or clicking on one of the answers displayed on their device.
Check out this video to learn more about Kahoot! and what it looks like in the classroom.
It’s Easy to Use
Unlike many digital tools, students do NOT need to create a log-in to play Kahoot! When the teacher launches a game, a “game pin” is displayed that enters students into the game. In addition, creating questions for Kahoot! is fairly straightforward. If you need help, this online guide can take you through the process step-by-step. Also, if you want to see an example, this link will take you to a Kahoot! I created with a health science teacher.
Students LOVE It
Nearly every time I have used Kahoot! with students, they have begged to play it again. What makes it so motivating? Well, there are few things. In quiz mode, students gain points based on wether they answered correctly and at what speed they answered. A leaderboard of the top five students is displayed after every question. In addition, each student’s device informs him or her of which place he or she has after each question. Students also know immediately whether they choose the correct response, and if they didn’t, they lear the correct answer. This immediate feedback motivates students. In addition, fun music and bright colors make the whole experience fun. In quiz mode, you can set a timer for how long students all have to respond. The music becomes increasingly suspenseful as time begins to run out!
The photo below is me demonstrating a Kahoot! quiz in a world history class.
Data!
Not only does Kahoot! provide immediate feedback to students on what they now or don’t know yet, it collects the data for the teacher. After each game, the teacher can click “Download Results.” Kahoot! then sends a spreadsheet to Microsoft Excel. The spreadsheet contain each student’s response to each question. What a great way to know what each student has learned! In addition, it colors the corrects responses green and the incorrect ones red. Large columns of red inform me that I need to reteach a word for the whole class. I can also tell if most students choose the same incorrect response to uncover any student misconceptions that exist.
Kahoot! will engage your students! To begin creating your own Kahoot!, go to getkahoot.com .
Have you used Kahoot!? Have you experienced it as a player before? Please talk about your experiences in the comments section.