A game of Kahoot! is typically initiated by educators as a way to gain rich insights about their classroom, through formative assessment or reviews. However, we are continually blown away by the huge number of alternative ways our community play Kahoot! to capture the hearts and minds of learners – with a focus on mastery and helping learners realise their deepest potential.

As you may not have thought of these – we thought we’d share some!

1. Introduce a new concept or topic

Rather than doing a quick assessment, many Kahooters throw away PowerPoint and play a game to introduce new information at the start of a topic – often spending a whole lesson Kahooting. A game would typically consist of around 5 questions, each one building up a narrative around a specific concept or topic with explanatory photography, video or diagram embedded. After each question, discuss the why? – you will likely spend 10 minutes debating each one!

This approach creates a great leveller in the classroom, meaning everyone is included in the learning from the outset, increasing mastery of tricky subjects. Getting a question wrong doesn’t matter. The magic happens during the discussion, re-showing the embedded image or video if necessary, focusing on the wrong answers as much as the right.

Tip: Embed a lobby video to introduce a new topic

2. Reinforce knowledge

We often hear our community say “My students begged for more!”. By turning on the ‘Randomise order of questions?’ and ‘Randomise order of answers in questions?’ options on the orange launch screen at the start of a game, you can reinforce learning by playing the same Kahoot multiple times! This ensures the focus is on the right/wrong answers rather than remembering the placement of the correct one(s).

If you’ve previously introduced a new topic with a Kahoot, why not play the same game again to reinforce knowledge?

Tip: Take a look at this step-by-step guide on how to Randomise Questions & Answers.

3. Encourage reflection and peer-led discussion

One of the most powerful things that happens during a game of Kahoot! is the new dynamics that occur between players. Often students who have never spoken before will bond or debate over a new-found shared passion or opinion, triggered by the ranking on the leaderboard or who they’re currently trying to catch!

When playing a quiz, tricky wrong answers (which could quite conceivably be correct answers) often create debate focused on why?. You could also create questions with more than one correct answer to really fuel the learning process. Use the duplicate question button to create repetitive questions/answers which build on insights gained from the previous question.

This approach becomes more powerful if (again) the focus isn’t on assessment, but mastery. Likewise, playing Kahoot! Surveys or Discussions can encourage reflective thinking and peer-led discussion in different ways – focused on ethical issues or personal traits. Check out these Surveys from @gamzegamzeg as great examples.

Tip: Take a look at this guide on how to Duplicate questions.

4. Connect #GlobalClassrooms

Do you belong to a global Skype group, Twitter hashtag or Edmodo forum? Why not connect with classrooms around the world to play a global Kahoot! game? Simply use your favourite screensharing technology (Skype, Google Hangouts, Appear.in etc) to share the question/answer screen to each classroom in the game.

Turn on your camera and microphone, and allow students to create connections with peers on the other side of the world whilst playing together – learn how their favourite subjects are taught in different cultures, break down cultural barriers and make friends for life.

Initiate competition between classes by asking students to include their class name at the start of their nickname. And why not ask your students to use screensharing to practice their Kahoot! games from home? Check out these amazing examples.

Tip: Introduce yourself + Find a classroom to link up with through our Twitter or Facebook communities.

 

5. Challenge learners to make their own Kahoots

Have you adopted our ‘Learners to Leaders’ pedagogy? By encouraging students to make Kahoots to challenge the class or play against one another outside of school, you can help initiate deep research and critical thinking on the subjects that inspire them the most! This allows you to play their game, and watch them become leaders as they discuss topics most important to them.

Tip: Check out great case studies from our users here, here and here – which include rubrics for how to assess the quality of questions students ask, broadening your understanding of their current knowledge levels.