Kahoot! is a game-based learning and trivia platform used in a multitude of settings - in K-12 and university classrooms, corporate offices, social settings, and major sporting and cultural events. Kahoot’s web platform is used by teachers to host kahootsgames/quizzes in a quiz show format with students in the classroom answering through their computers/mobile devices. Teachers can create their own kahoots or pick from millions of already created kahoots on the platform.
Kahoot!’s mobile app, designed for iOS and Android, brings game-based learning outside the classroom: teachers can send after-class challenges to students as homework and learners can continue playing for revision and fun wherever they are.
Formats:
Web, iOS, Android, Chromebooks
Website:
What does it help with?
Kahoot! is known for its game-based learning platform. Anyone can create games for any subject or topic. Kahoot! games, or kahoots, are played in classrooms and other social settings all over the world. There are 70 million people every month creating, hosting and playing kahoots.
Instead of paper and pen tasks teachers can now assign homework as games. You can also replay classroom kahoots for revision, take on challenges, and challenge others. Students can receive after-class kahoots as challenges.
Students can also play quizzes in single-player mode. There are millions of Kahoot! games out there. Students can also join a live kahoot, hosted in class or another group setting. The questions appear on the shared screen and students can use the app on their mobile device as a controller to answer.
What grade and age range?
Grade range is K-12.
Is this core/supplemental/special needs/extracurricular/professional development or what?
Supplemental: Kahoot! is mostly used by teachers for revision, quizzing and assessment in the classroom. The app is useful for supplemental support so students can revise and repeat at home and reinforce what the learned in the classroom.
What subject, topic, and standards is it mapped to?
Kahoot!’s website and app host millions of quizzes on a diverse range of topics. Kahoot! also offers hundreds of kahoots/quizzes that are ready-to-play, high-quality and curriculum aligned in the areas of Math, ELA, History and Science through its Kahoot! Studio offering.
What lesson time does it use?
Kahoot!’s mobile app can be used by teachers to assign homework. The app is mostly used outside the classroom by students in their free time.
What is the pricing model?
The Kahoot! service is free for teachers and students.
What makes Kahoot! unique?
Kahoot! is on a mission to unlock the deepest potential of every learner, regardless of age or context, and doing that by making learning fun and engaging through games. Kahoot!’s easy-to-use interface and catchy music make it a hit among users. Kahoot! has become a pop culture phenomenon in schools and learning environments with “kahooting” being used as a verb.
A description of the characteristics -- how is it optimized for user interface & user experience? What instructional design principles are at work here?
Game show format: The Kahoot! platform uses gamification so that the teacher becomes a gameshow host. Students use their devices to join quizzes and receive points for accuracy and speed. The format is easy to use for all ages for any device. Teachers can host the kahoot very easily from their computers and students can answer by simply entering a unique PIN from the teacher by visiting kahoot.it on their browser or from the Kahoot app.
Ready-made quizzes or create your own: Teachers can create their own kahoot games through a user interface and add photos and videos to the questions. Or they can choose from hundreds of free, ready-made, curriculum-aligned quizzes in varied subjects offered by Kahoot.
Data and assessment: At the end of the quiz, teachers can access detailed reports in chart format to assess students’ performance overall and performance on individual questions.
Take it outside the classroom: Teachers can continue the learning outside the classroom by sending homework challenges which the students can play in their Kahoot app on any device at home. Challenges are easy to share through email or Google Classroom and students can accept challenges and play asynchronously with their fellow classmates.
Revision: The mobile app allows students to revise the content that they have played in the classroom or other curriculum (in math, science, ELA or history). The app also allows students to create their own games which they can challenge other students with.
Kahoot!’s design is intended to be simple and easy to use. The applications music is catchy and popular with adults and kids alike. The simple idea behind the user interface is to make learning fun through games.
Teacher reviews:
Ross Berman, Math teacher, Queens NY:
"Since I started using the Kahoot! app to challenge students with homework games, more students have completed their homework and I've received a more accurate understanding of what the students do well and what they need help with."
Kathy Blankenship, Math teacher, TX
"With the Kahoot! app, not only can students process the questions and answers more easily on a single device, they also have more freedom to answer at their own pace. I can also share a challenge through Google Classroom, which is a huge help for my kids who are absent, who can still participate from home. I anticipate using Kahoot! much more often with the app and the ability to use the Challenge mode as homework assignments. It's a great review, and being able to more closely monitor my students' results makes it much more useful in the classroom."
