Instructional Tools for Engagement: Kahoot!

Pros

• Free
• Customizable
• Effective in many disciplines and situations
• Engaging and fun design for students

Cons

• Can have a learning curve
• Many useful features behind paywall 
• Accessibility issues
• Frequently asks if you want to subscribe

NOTE: Kahoot! has accessibility issues and thus should not be used for credit-bearing assignments. 

Find more information here.

You can go to the Kahoot! account creation page by clicking on the link to the left. 

Once you have done that and are on the main page, click on the "create a new kahoot" to create a new quiz. 

After that, you will be given options for different templates. Click on the blank template. 

The following screen will be the basic layout for creating questions. You type your question at the top, insert an optional image at the center of the page, and add your answer at the bottom with the four boxes. Each box will have a different color and shape associated with it. You must input a minimum of 2 answer choices, but can have a maximum of 4. 

When you are ready to create a new question, click on the blue "add question" button on the left. This will prompt you to select a type of question. The two available for free are the quiz format (which was the previous example), and the True or False format. 

A True or false question functions largely the same way as the quiz type of question, only that your only two answer options are true or false. 

The other main point to consider is the time limit.

All question types will have time limit. If you click on the Time limit drop down box, you can see that the options are from 5 seconds to 4 minutes. 

REMEMBER

Direct your students to Kahoot.it. Once you hit Start, and select Classic Mode, you will be given a game pin that you will share with your students so that they can join your game. 

Don't Re-invent the Wheel

You can search many pre-made Kahoots. Some are behind pay walls, but there are a good amount that are free that you can make copies of and edit. Before you begin a brand new Kahoot, make sure to check for any existing material that you might be able to use. 

After clicking on the "Discover" header, type what you are looking for in the search bar below. 

Use Time Limits Effectively

Time matters. Be sure to assign the appropriate amount of time to each question. Too little, and your students will be frustrated that they did not get to think through a question and select a response. Too long, and students will be sitting and idling.