What is Kahoot? And Why You Should Try It
Make Learning Interactive: What is Kahoot? And Why You Should Try It.
Imagine a classroom where studying feels like a game show. Questions flash on the screen, choices pop up on your phone? You can do that with Kahoot!, a free online platform that turns learning into an interactive adventure.
Kahoot! Isn’t just for schools anymore. It’s a versatile tool for anyone who wants to make learning engaging. Great for online schools too. Used it for many years. You can search for kahoots that others have created and duplicate them and edit them. Can also allow others to play asynchronously for a chosen number of days, but cannot do a live game at the same time. You must create a separate game to do that.
So, how does it work?
Kahoot! Quizzes, called “kahoots,” are essentially interactive multiple-choice games. Players join a kahoot using a unique pin on their phones or laptops.
The quizmaster (host) shares their screen, which displays the questions and answer choices. Players race to pick the answer they think is right.
Here’s the exciting part: answering quickly gives you points, and correct answers give you even more. The game tracks your score and ranking, adding a dash of friendly competition that keeps everyone on their toes.
More than just multiple choice
Kahoot! Isn’t a one-trick pony? Quizzes can incorporate images and videos to make learning more visually appealing. There are even different question types, like true or false and open-ended, to keep things interesting.
Create Your Own Learning Games
The beauty of Kahoot! Is that anyone can create a quiz. The platform offers a user-friendly interface that lets you add questions, images, and customize the game settings. You can even share your work publicly or keep it private for a specific group.
Kahoot! for Everyone: A Resource for Teachers, Students, and Families
Learning at Your Own Pace
Not everyone learns in the same way. Kahoot! Caters to different learning styles by offering both live games and self-paced challenges. Join a live game for an interactive experience, or tackle a challenge on your own schedule to solidify your understanding of a topic.
It allows you to type answers with a paid account. This supports full recall, which I find most helpful. The teaching slides are also important to me. I use Blooket too, to engage the class. But I use Kahoot more than Blooket. My job is to help the classes learn, not to entertain them. That’s how I look at it.
A universe of knowledge
You’ll be able to find quizzes on just about any subject with millions of user-generated quizzes. Brush up on history, test your science knowledge, or have a friendly geography showdown. The library is constantly expanding, thanks to the creativity of community.
Beyond classrooms
Use Kahoot! for family game nights, team-building exercises at work, or even pre-wedding trivia to test how well your partner knows you (hopefully they get all the answers right!).
Free and Premium Options
Kahoot! Offers a free basic version that lets you play existing kahoots and create your own simple quizzes. If you want access to more features like polls, discussions, and advanced question types, you can upgrade to Kahoot!+.
Kahoot and Blooket each have their own benefits depending on what you want to use the tool for. I love Blooket for engagement after the lesson and I love Kahoot for engagement during the lesson as you are able to add teaching slides. Both are great engagement tools!
The Key to Effective Learning
So, what makes Kahoot! Such an effective learning tool? Here are a few reasons.
- Engagement: The game-show format keeps players engaged and motivated.
- Competition: A healthy dose of competition pushes people to learn and remember information.
- Immediate feedback. Players get instant feedback on their answers, allowing them to correct their understanding.
- Variety: With different question types, visuals, and self-paced options, Kahoot! Caters to various learning styles.
Learning Without Limits
It Is a refreshing change from traditional textbooks and lectures. It makes learning fun and competitive, so everyone has a good time. So, next time you’re looking for a way to make learning exciting, give Kahoot! A try. You might just be surprised at how much you can learn while having a blast.