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15 Nov 2016

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Kahoot! goes to college: engaging Higher Ed students in learning

Dive deeper into this study on college kahoot!’ing!

Why use Kahoot! at University?

I do. We do. You do. College classrooms today are not only incorporating hands on learning and collaboration, but they also are bringing focus to the importance of engagement. By offering interactive learning experiences that emphasize student voice and creative uses of technology, university lectures have transformed to serve as models of innovative practice for higher education students.

Kahoot!, a favorite learning tool in K-12 classrooms, is also a terrific tool for university professors looking to add to their teaching toolkit to make learning awesome! Recently in my College of Education courses at Saint Leo University in Florida, my university students and I have explored uses of Kahoot! in learning and teaching.

What we discovered was that the experience with Kahoot! had multiple levels of awesomeness! From meaningful practice of our curricular concepts to modeling best practices for my preservice teachers for their future classrooms to showcasing the importance of FUN in learning, Kahoot! brings an easy to use, game-based platform for me as an instructor.

In following the three-part I Do, You Do, We Do methodology that is incorporated in our College of Education program at Saint Leo, together with three of my pre-service teachers, Chrissy, Lucy, and Marissa, we outline our journey of taking Kahoot! to college!

Taking Kahoot! to college

I Do

Through a process of explicit teaching and scaffolding, Kahoot! is a perfect activity to add to the instructional phase of learning in a college classroom.

In our class, we use Kahoot! to reinforce and practice skills on which we are focusing, and as a professor, I am able to get instant feedback on engagement and understanding. Recently, we were able to use Kahoot! in our studies of formative and summative assessments. As a wonderful example of an actual formative assessment, participation in the experience beautifully modeled our lesson and gave my students extra practice on the studied concepts.

 

"I thought [Kahoot!] was a superb stimulus for us as a class...it made us think on our feet in order to answer the questions quickly"

Lucy McManus, Pre-Service Teacher, Saint Leo University, FL

We Do

With an understanding of how Kahoot! can be used in instruction, university students can then be guided to create their own questions and their own Kahoot! games.In this phase of learning, instructors can check for understanding and give feedback as students search for relevant questions and appropriate answers. As a follow up activity to our lesson and our in-class Kahoot!, my students were able to work in groups to create their own games.

Kahoot! goes to college

Through the process of searching for main topics and important vocabulary words, the groups identified five to seven questions with answers. The following day, the learning was then extended as the groups challenged each other in a class Kahoot! event!

For my students as future teachers, they were able to have firsthand experience trying out an instructional practice that could be used for future reference.

By taking part in making the Kahoot!, too, the students were able to see the importance of crafting thoughtful questions and answers to support the learning of each student in a class.

“In making a kahoot, we as students are part of the creation...adding well thought out questions can help the class succeed as a whole, as well as getting our creative juices flowing!”

Marissa Mollish, Pre-Service Teacher, Saint Leo University, FL

You Do

My university students have the extraordinary opportunity of independent practice with using Kahoot! in their teaching practicums. As an assessment tool to measure understanding or as a collaborative team work activity, Kahoot! serves as a great resource for my preservice teachers to add to their instructional toolkit. And, as Kahoot! can be used for all grade levels and content areas, in any language, and with any device, it is an ideal platform for them regardless of where their professional paths may lead them in the future.

Above all, what we found is that Kahoot! brings joy to learning! Kahoot! as a game-based social learning solution keeps the fun in the college classroom. And, we most certainly all love seeing those big green smiley faces at the end reflecting that students, regardless of age, are feeling fantastic!

"When teachers use Kahoot!, I know student learning is truly important to them. Teachers who use Kahoot! demonstrate the importance of real learning and understanding, incorporating technology, and a sense of community."

Chrissy Cocheo, Pre-Service Teacher, Saint Leo University, FL

As a teacher, truly what more can you ask for?! We would love to hear your Kahoot! Goes to College stories! Please connect with us and share your stories directly on Twitter @GetKahoot.

Dr. Jennifer Williams

Jennifer is a globally minded educator that works with classrooms of the world to Jennifer Williamsconnect learning and
experience through meaningful uses of technology. She is a literacy specialist, adjunct professor, and proud Kahoot! Founding Ambassador. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the International Literacy Association. You can connect with Jennifer on Twitter at @JenWilliamsEdu.

Christine Cocheo

Christine CocheoChrissy is a pre-service teacher. She studies in the College of Education at Saint Leo University and is working towards earning her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. She is interested in the development of community in the classroom and the relationship between collaboration and learning.

 

Lucy McManus

Lucy McManusLucy is a pre-service teacher who has completed three years of a Bachelor of Education with Music at St. Mary’s University College, Belfast, N. Ireland. She has a particular interest in special educational needs, arts education, and child-centered learning in the classroom. Connect with Lucy on Twitter at @xoluciexo.

 

Marissa Mollish

Marissa Mollish

Marissa is a pre-service educator at Saint Leo University in Tampa, Florida. She hopes to make an impact on student writing and literacy. You can connect with Marissa on Twitter at @MissMollishEdu.

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