This article was updated in January 2024.
Kahoot! is one of the original quiz learning game platforms and remains one of the best out there, making education fun, engaging and digital.
Even with its many years of experience and wide selection of tools, Kahoot! still offers a free-to-use platform, providing a great option for teachers and students.
Since everything is cloud-based, it's ideal for use across connections, locations, and across different types of devices. That makes it useful both in class on a smart board and on tablets and personal devices.
Thanks to a well-organized system, it is possible to create quizzes using age or ability metrics to adapt the results to the class or individuals as necessary. And thanks to a host of pre-designed questionnaires, which can be edited to your needs, it's quick to set up and use.
This guide aims to give you everything you need to know about using Kahoot! in the classroom and offers some useful ways to teach using this tool.
What is Kahoot!?
Kahoot! is a cloud-based testing platform that is ideal for students and teachers. Since the game-based platform allows you to create new quizzes from scratch, it is possible to be creative and offer personalized learning options for students.
Kahoot! offers over 40 million ready-made games that anyone can access, making it quick and easy to get started. Ideal for hybrid or distance learning, when time and resources are scarce.
From Kahoot! It's free, you simply need to create an account to get started. Students can use Kahoot! on most devices from any location with an Internet connection.
What's new in Kahoot!?
As a constantly growing platform, there are many updates on Kahoot! regularly. One feature worth taking advantage of is the relatively new artificial intelligence system.
The new ai component allows you to vary your content without having to spend a lot of time and effort editing it manually. Change the length, descriptive level or style of the text, all with simple ai commands and it's all done for you.
Kahoot! A selection of questionnaires focused on sustainability and innovation were also added. This comes from a partnership with ASU's College of Global Futures for a selection of pre-built learning tools ideal for use in the classroom.
For students thinking about their next move to college, there are new tools from College Board's BigFuture, designed to be accessed in Kahoot. immediately.
How does Kahoot! work? work?
In its most basic form, Kahoot! offers a question and then optional multiple-choice answers. This can be enhanced with rich media, such as images and videos, to add more interactivity.
While Kahoot! It can be used in the classroom and is ideal for remote learning. Teachers may set up a test and wait to see the scores as students complete it. Or they can take a live quiz via video, using third-party apps like Zoom either Meet – be present as students overcome challenges.
While there is a timer-based test mode, you can also choose to turn it off. In that case, it is possible to set more complex tasks that require research time.
Teachers can also review results and run analytics on game reports to conduct formative assessments and better judge progress made in class.
To get started go to getkahoot.com and sign up for a free account. Select “Register,” then choose “Teacher” followed by your institution, whether “school,” “higher education,” or “school administration.” You can then sign up using your email and password or with a Google or Microsoft account (ideal if your school already uses Google Classroom either Microsoft Teams.
Once you've signed up, you can start creating your own quiz or use one of the many already created options. Or go a little bit of both and create a new quiz but use the half a million question options already available in Kahoot!
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Who can use Kahoot?
From Kahoot! It is online based, it will work on most devices including laptops, tablets, smartphones, Chromebooks and desktop machines. It runs online in a browser window, as well as in app form, with iOS and Android versions available.
Kahoot! It works with Microsoft Teams, allowing teachers to share challenges more easily. In the premium or pro versions, this offers more options, such as the ability to co-create Kahoots with colleagues.
What are the best Kahoot! characteristics?
Ghost
Ghost is a great feature that allows students to play against their own previous scores, creating a performance-enhancing game. This allows you to review a questionnaire more than once and helps ensure that the information reaches a deeper level.
Analysis
Improve each student's understanding by using results analysis to see which student has been struggling and with what, so you can help them in that area.
Copy
Take advantage of the many quizzes created by other educators that are now available to use for free on Kahoot!. You can even combine multiple Kahoots to create an ultimate test.
Assess students first
A Kahoot quiz can be a great way to check students' knowledge before you start teaching a subject to prevent it from being too simplistic or complicated for the class.
use media
Add videos directly from YouTube very easily. This is a great way for students to watch and learn, knowing that they will be quizzed once the video is over. You can also add images and, in the case of the iOS app, your own drawings.
Kahoot! best tips and tricks
Lead the class
Set a test at the beginning of class and adapt your teaching for that lesson based on how everyone does, allowing you to adapt it to each student as needed.
Save time with pre-written texts
Use questions already in Kahoot! to create a custom quiz but without having to take the time to type each question – search works well here.
play with ghosts
Use Ghost mode to allow students to progress from their previous high score. A great way to compare the start and end of a lesson to see improvements.
Let students create
Have your students create their own quizzes to share in class, helping others learn but also showing you how much they know so they can create.
