What’s new at Kahoot! for back-to-school

Liz Crawford, our resident Director of US Education, commenced with our first session with an exploration of all of the awesome new features coming to Kahoot! for education, including AI, presentation features, new packages, features for accessibility, game modes, content, and more.

Here’s a quick overview of some of our new features that are perfect for back-to-school:

• AI tools — save time planning with our Kahoot! AI generator and create kahoots from prompts, PDFs, URLs, Wikipedia sources, and YouTube videos.
• Lecture mode — deliver engaging lessons and lectures with lecture mode, great for introducing new material, controlling the pace of the lecture, and hiding the scoreboard and podium.
• Accuracy mode — encourage precision over speed with Accuracy mode, which removes speed bonuses and enables students to reach the top spot by answering questions correctly.

All in one, one for all: Using Kahoot! for every part of the school day

Next up was Max Rutkovskyi, Deputy Head at the Global School of Ukraine! Max discussed AI-assisted creator tools and how he harnesses them to make lesson prep more efficient within his classroom.

Max emphasizes that Kahoot! is far more than just a quiz platform—it is a powerful tool for building a personal teaching brand. Kahoot! helps educators design memorable, engaging content that shows their voice, humor, and values, making lessons both impactful and recognizable. He believes every kahoot a teacher creates serves as a “blueprint for learning,” reflecting their unique teaching style much like a fingerprint.

Max uses peer instruction during kahoot sessions to boost student engagement and understanding. By planning lessons with purpose, original content, and meaningful interaction, Max demonstrates how teachers can turn ordinary lesson plans into a strong, effective teaching brand that connects with both students and colleagues. As Max puts it, “You can be the best teacher in the world, but a student who truly understands the material will explain it better than anyone else.”

Product updates: A deeper look at new product features and their impact on learning

Lavinia Jecan, Community Director at Kahoot! was next up. Lavinia took us on a deep dive into our new Kahoot! features that Liz previously introduced. We delved into how these new tools transform classroom dynamics, enhance lesson planning, and improve student engagement and outcomes.

• AI-powered content creation—Our AI tools empower educators to quickly generate lesson content using simple prompts, PDFs, or trusted sources like Wikipedia, supporting over 50 languages. Teachers can even input curriculum standards to create tailored questions that fit their specific needs. New capabilities include extracting questions directly from PDFs and seamless syncing of content from OneDrive, PowerPoint, and Google Slides. With Microsoft Copilot integration, creating content from local documents has become even easier. Additionally, admins have the option to disable AI features to ensure compliance with their policies.
• New game modes and engagement features—New game modes offer both self-paced and collaborative play, including Accuracy mode, which rewards correct answers without speed pressure, and Lecture Mode, which supports interactive teaching. Kahoot! also features fun partner-themed games with characters like Hello Kitty and SpongeBob to boost engagement.
• Kahootopia!: tracking and celebrating progress—Kahootopia! tracks class progress with a growing shared island, seasonal events, and new rewards. The recently added Leagues allow global classroom competitions, while the Time Machine summarizes students’ learning journeys and allows educators to receive a wrap-up of their classes’ learning over the course of the year—what a great way to identify learning gaps and inform your planning for next year!
• Discover page and curriculum-aligned content—The Discover page now makes it easier to find ready-made kahoots, including content from popular partners. Soon, users will be able to search kahoots by curriculum standards like Common Core, simplifying lesson planning.
• Self-study features and new learning modes—We introduced new self-study modes, including a faster “Learn” microlearning mode. Math mini-games help with tricky topics, and an upcoming coding game teaches programming in a fun way. A language learning module will launch soon with interactive vocabulary games in over 50 languages.

Why pre-service teachers are still coming back to Kahoot! 10 years later

We also heard from Lauren Cowulich, a senior at McKendree University training to be an elementary teacher, who shared her unique perspective as both a student and future educator. Lauren reminded us why Kahoot! continues to be a go-to tool even years after first discovering it.

For her, it wasn’t just a game — “it gave everyone an equal chance to engage without raising their hand or worrying about being wrong.” This built-in sense of safety made it easier for students to take academic risks and feel proud of their achievements. Now, as she prepares to step into the classroom, Lauren is excited to recreate that same inclusive, energetic environment that Kahoot! inspired by her own learning journey.

The Kahoot! Learning Experience: When and how to use Kahoot! effectively

The Kahoot! Learning Experience underpins everything we do in the education sphere, and our Professional Development Expert and former teacher, Pekka Peura, is well-versed in the power of the model. It’s designed by our pedagogy experts to assist educators in selecting the right tools and strategies to help them save valuable preparation time, deliver engaging lessons, and conduct effective assessment.

Pekka took centre-stage (or, more aptly, centre-screen) to discuss how the Kahoot! Learning Experience supports educators through preparation, instruction, practice, review, assessment, and achievement, with tailored features for every step to drive impactful learning outcomes and enhance classroom engagement.

Want to learn more about the Kahoot! Learning Experience? Check out our PD deck for educators or complete our free professional development course and earn PD credits and a certificate. You can also become Kahoot! Certified with our free training program, consisting of three 30-minute courses where you’ll learn the essential skills to use Kahoot!

All means all: The rising tide of need in today’s classrooms

We were thrilled to close the summit with a talk from Dr. Kari Stubbs, VP at Stages Learning, former teacher, and advocate for engaging learning for all.

Dr. Kari provided insight into how the education landscape has evolved in supporting neurodiverse learners. From an increase in the number of diagnoses, to shortages in qualified special education teachers, and to new technologies, Kari discussed the opportunity we now have to come together to provide high-quality instruction for all students.

In her inspiring session, Kari shared the story of Jaden—an autistic student whose intelligence and potential were overlooked because the system wasn’t built with his needs in mind. She reminded us that students like Jaden don’t need fixing—the system does. With nearly 1 in 5 people identifying as neurodivergent, Kari called on educators to move from a culture of compliance to one of compassion. She highlighted how tools like Kahoot! can play a powerful role in this shift, offering flexible, engaging ways to meet learners where they are and ensure every student feels seen, supported, and successful.

Thank you for making this event awesome!

The Kahoot! EDU Summit was full of positive energy, actionable strategies, and inspiring conversations.

We can’t wait to see how you implement the strategies we explored and how you’ll make learning awesome this upcoming academic year—but don’t forget to enjoy your well-deserved break!