As the demand for hybrid learning—combining face-to-face and online learning experiences—continues to grow among higher ed students, more educators are opting to create fully hybrid courses. However, this has prompted the question: how can higher ed educators create an engaging learning experience for students in both online and in-person contexts? Do the activities educators use to engage students in the classroom still work in an online or hybrid course?
These are the questions that researchers from Bond University, Australia set out to explore in an academic study, recently published in the Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice. In this study, higher ed students of medicine and health science participated in a live interactive poll using Kahoot!, with students from both face-to-face and online learner cohorts.
Student feedback was clear: whether in-person or virtual, Kahoot! scored high for being, “enjoyable, engaging, and a helpful learning tool across different modes of delivery.”
Elevating learning for students across all contexts
Participating students in both cohorts reported that they found Kahoot! to be an effective solution for supporting learning and revision. This showed that interactive polling with Kahoot! can engage students and elevate learning anywhere and in any type of course, whether fully in-person, online, or hybrid. As the researchers noted, “The finding that it remains equally effective across both delivery modes provides evidence-based support for its use in hybrid or blended subject offerings.”
The students also pointed to Kahoot! features they found especially engaging or helpful. These included the kahoot’s energetic music and colors, the technology’s ease of use, and the way the questions helped break down key concepts, preventing students from feeling overwhelmed with too much information at once. As participating students shared in their feedback:
“Kahoot! is a fun, supportive learning environment.”
“I would like to use Kahoot! more in the future because of the fact that it is fun and easy without having to be intimidated by lots of information.”
“Nicknames can be anonymous so for people who are shy and not so confident with the content don’t feel embarrassed/nervous doing it.”
“I would like to use Kahoot! for summary questions at the end of each week, to motivate myself to understand everything learned during the week.”
A learning solution students love, in the classroom and beyond
Through this study, we see that Kahoot! offers an engaging learning experience for students, whether in fully in-person, online, or hybrid learning contexts. This research, as with many other research articles on Kahoot!, also reminds us why Kahoot! continues to be one of the top student-loved learning platforms. Millions of students worldwide not only learn with Kahoot! in the classroom, but also use it as their go-to study companion to study smarter from anywhere. Recently, YPulse, a leading youth insights and intelligence platform, also ranked Kahoot! as the third most popular study platform among Gen Z and Millennials, and their children.
Ready to supercharge engagement and learning in all your higher ed courses? Explore the Kahoot! for Higher Education plans and start making learning awesome today!