Kahoot!

By the Literacy Central Navigation Team, Summer Reads VISTAs

About Summer Reads
This children’s literacy tutor resource was created by Summer Reads VISTA members. Summer Reads is an AmeriCorps VISTA national service program of Literacy Minnesota. For eight weeks over the summer, Summer Reads VISTA members volunteer full-time as children’s/youth literacy mentors in schools, libraries and out-of-school-time programs across Minnesota. They bring literacy to life for low-income students through a variety of activities – one-on-one tutoring, creative enrichment activities like using arts and drama to explore language or practicing vocabulary and comprehension in science and other subjects. They also connect students and parents/caregivers to community resources through wraparound basic needs support. At the same time, the VISTA members build their own leadership, explore career paths, pay for college and become lifelong advocates for the communities they serve due to the power of their experience. www.literacymn.org/summerreads

ABOUT

Kahoot! is a web-based classroom response system that allows the instructor to create multiple choice game-show style quizzes to assess student knowledge and comprehension. Students can compete individually or in teams, earning points in each mode. Kahoot! is best used for multiple choice quizzes in smaller classes, with students that can accept point awarding competition. Points are allotted after each question and can be seen by all in the class, motivating students to get more correct answers. Students can respond anonymously or with names. You can create your own, new, Kahoots! or search the Kahoot public library for pre-made Kahoots. Some teachers build whole lessons around a game of Kahoot or run activities where students create their own content on Kahoot!, in those cases Kahoot is the core of lessons.

Other teachers include a kahoot as a supplement to their lecture and classroom activity. They might do that to introduce a topic, do a review or to give the students an energizer during class.

PLATFORM

Kahoots are best played in group settings, like a classroom. Games are displayed on a shared screen - for example, a smart TV, laptop, tablet, or projection system. You can also use screen sharing tools like Skype, Zoom, or Google Hangouts to include players from other classes or online students. Players join in using their own devices - whether that is a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop - the device doesn't matter as long as they have access to a web browser or the Kahoot! app.

PROS

• Website is free
• Works on any device
• Easy to create categories
• Keeps students engaged
• Kahoot! tracks wrong answers, so you can assess how many students missed a specific concept and revisit it.

CONS

• The answers can only be true or false, yes or no, or multiple choice. This can be a limitation. There is a new game on Kahoot! called Jumble. This challenges students to place correct answers in a correct order.
• Since students receive more points for quicker answers, it can emphasize speed over substance. It could be a good program for review, but not for instruction.

BENEFITS

Student engagement with this game is high. The students enjoy playing this game because it is fast paced, visual, and energetic. Because of this, teachers can see if students truly understand the material that was covered through the use of both Kahoot quizzes and surveys. It is a way to see student understanding of material. Kahoot gives teachers the ability to track student performance of the game to make adjustment in teaching or reteaching in some instances. Another advantage to using Kahoot is that teachers can easily use either Kahoots that have been made by others for public use or create their own Kahoots. The ease of this website can allow teachers of all technology skill levels to use this website with their students. Because of this, teachers can integrate this technology in all subject areas from reading and math to life lessons such as bullying and digital citizenship. Teachers could even use this technology with other teachers during professional development or meetings.

HOW TO PLAY

Getting started:

1. Before playing a Kahoot! in the classroom, you need to create a Kahoot! account and Kahoot! quiz.
2. Go to kahoot.com and login to your account.
3. At the top of menu, click Kahoots tab.
4. In Kahoots Quiz page,
   1. Select the check box of a Kahoots quiz you want to play.
   2. Click Play.
5. Choose Classic (player vs. players) or Team mode (team vs. team with shared devices) Note: In “Game Options,” you can customize point bonuses, name generator (autogenerated nickname to maintain student anonymity), randomization of questions and answers, two-step join for extra security (students enter the game pin and select the correct pattern), automatic transitions, and game pin display.
6. The screen will now display the game lobby with the Game Pin # and joining instructions.

Student directions:

1. Students enter the Pin # in Kahoot! mobile app or at kahoot.it in their browser on their devices (computer or mobile) and click Enter.
2. Students enter a nickname and click the OK, go! button, which will populate on your screen in the game lobby. Note: Students also have an option of selecting an auto-generated nickname.
3. You will see students that joined this Kahoot! Click Start on your screen to begin the game.

PLAYING THE GAME

• The question and answer choices will be displayed on the teachers screen, whereas student screens will display on the answer buttons. Note: Students will select the answer choice corresponding to the button with the same color and shape as the answer choice.
• Once all the players have answered the question, the correct answer and a bar graph with the overall snapshot of the class responses will be displayed on the instructor’s screen.
• Click Next to move to the next question.
• At the end of each question, the Leaderboard will display the top five scorers.
• Once the game is over, winner information will be displayed in the Podium and the student screen will show their personal results and rank.
• Click Get Results to be able to save an Excel spreadsheet with results of student responses and scores. Note: Students can rate the Kahoot quiz, and you can save those results as well.

HOW TO PLAY (click for VISUALS)

• Select Classic or Team mode.
• A unique Game PIN will be displayed at the top of the screen. Players must enter this PIN to join the game in the Kahoot! app or on their web browser. The player counter allows you to ensure that all students are in the game.
• Click start once you can see all the player's names or nicknames (for anonymity). During gameplay, you can use the spacebar or mouse to go to the next question.
• The question screen has a timer that lets students know how much time they have left to answer the question.
• Students select the color/shape choice on their device that corresponds to the correct answer on the screen.
• Students will be notified of whether the answer was correct or incorrect on their personal device.
• If you have points turned on, students will see how many points they received and what place they are in.
• A scoreboard will appear between questions that present the names or nicknames of score leaders.
• At the end of the game, a podium will be presented with the top three students for the quiz. Students will be notified on their individual devices of their total score and place in the competition.
• At the end of the game, click Feedback and Results, and then Final Results to save and download the scores, view reports, play again, or start a new game.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How many players can join a game?
Up to 2,000 players can join a game.

What browsers work with Kahoot!?
Kahoot! offers web platforms that are fully supported on the latest two versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and IE. Windows 10 apps are also available that provide shortcuts to our web platforms. You can also install iPhone/iPad and Android apps on supported operating systems.

How do I find or restore a missing Kahoot!?
When you’re creating new Kahoot!, your edits are saved automatically even if you don’t click Finish. Unfinished kahoots should be saved as a draft in your My drafts listed on the Kahoots! page.

TIPS

• If you are playing at the same time as being connected to a virtual platform (Zoom, Google Meeting, etc.), you must tell students not to use their voice to say the word or hints out loud, as some people may need more time to guess.
• As a teacher, do not screenshare your screen.
• If students join in using inappropriate or offensive nicknames, it is easy to “kick” them out of the game by simply clicking on their nicknames. Remind and encourage students at the outset to use proper or suitable names to avoid these situations.

SOURCES

• https://kahoot.com
• https://mc.libguides.com/classroomresponse/kahoot#:~:text=Presenting%20a%20Kahoot!&text= You%20can%20also%20use%20screen,other%20classes%20or%20online%20students.
• https://mrjoudeh.wordpress.com/2017/03/22/skribbl-io/
• https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/4618/a7bc00c0f653d3c7883dc73f96c210a8d99a.pdf
• https://thelearningcounsel.com/article/kahoot-provides-learning-through-creation-educationalgames-and-new-understanding-through
• https://englishteaching101.com/kahoot-create-beginner-guide/
• https://www.instruction.uh.edu/knowledgebase/how-to-play-kahoot-in-class/