This page about Kahoot deliberately follows presentations because I use them together a lot.
Kahoot is a well-known website that offers a game-like experience of, what is essentially, a digital, multiple-choice quiz. There are two URLs required, one for creating the quiz and another for participants of the quiz.
You will need a stable internet connection, one internet-connected device per team (or learner if they are going to be working individually) and a large screen or projector connected to a tablet/smartphone or PC to host the quiz.
The URLs needed for Kahoot are:
- kahoot.it is for participants
- create.kahoot.it is for creators
Here’s a quiz I created for my learners in Vietnam to familiarise them with quiz creation and how Kahoot works. Launch the creators page and choose the quiz you want to use, and it will create a PIN for learners to enter on their devices at the kahoot.it page. They will need to agree on a team name and unsuitable names can be removed and those groups will need to start again and create a new team name. Entering individuals’ names is optional but it makes it easier to know which group is which. Once you are happy that everyone has entered, click start and the quiz will begin.
First and foremost, learners familiarise themselves with how the quiz operates, the visual layout and the timing of the questions and answer sections. They learn that quick responses net more points to differentiate between teams that have the same number of correct answers and that overzealous tapping of the screen can terminate their session and end their participation in the quiz.
Secondly, learners can see how the questions and answers are laid out. The questions are inevitably open with wh- questions and there are up to 4 answers to choose from. The answers are not just testing for knowledge but also other skills such as spelling, and awareness. When it comes to their turn to create quizzes, they need not just focus on 4 different answers, so a seemingly simple question can be checking their spelling or ability to recall minute details.
Thirdly, there is a winner and there are losers, and it is important to congratulate the winners whether they won by pure luck or were simply better than everyone else. Corinthian spirit plays an important role in classroom rapport and atmosphere.
Quiz Creation
When learners make quizzes, I prefer to tie them in with a presentation they will have given to the class, so there is a reason to listen (even if the topic and delivery are not the very well done).
Before learners can log in and begin creating quizzes, I recommend that they work together to create their questions based on the presentations they are going to give. It’s also important to remind the learners that the answers to their quiz questions must be mentioned in their presentation. Aside from questions they will also need up to four different answers. I usually give learners 10-15 minutes for this section of the task.
Show learners where to click to create a new quiz
Creating the quizzes will require a tutorial, and the best way to learn is by doing. Lead the class through the log in process at the creators URL using your account (it will help keep the quizzes in one place). Walk them through the process of creating a new quiz.
Choose the type of Kahoot you would like
Show them how and where to type their questions. Then where to enter their different possible answers along with highlighting which answer(s) are correct. Set the amount of time the participants have to select answers/an answer, then the points for that question. Once they are happy they add a new question. If your learners are working in groups, I would recommend allotting a set amount of time before another member of the group takes over typing duties.
This is the page where you can populate your quiz
Make sure you have given the learners a time limit to create their quizzes online. I usually tell them that the first group to complete and save their quiz will be the first quiz up and I allow the creators to take part. There’s nothing like a big target for the rest of the class to take down and beating the creators of the quiz at their own quiz is a scalp. Start the quiz to signal to the other groups that they had hurry up and save their quiz otherwise they will not be able to take part.
With regard to error correction, it is up to you how you want to approach it, whether it be immediate, as a group afterwards or as homework. There are many opportunities to explore and exploit the presentation and quizzes that the learners created in further lessons, and thinking about Bloom’s taxonomy, ranking activities regarding the quizzes and presentations will push learners into higher order thinking tasks and engage their critical thinking faculties.