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Research shows Kahoot! boosts learning outcomes through powerful engagement

Take a look back through years of research highlighting the teaching and learning benefits of Kahoot!

Since launching in 2013, Kahoot! has become a go-to digital learning platform for educators and learners of all ages worldwide. More than 8 million educators now use Kahoot!, as well as 87% of the global top 500 universities, with kahoot sessions hosted in over 200 countries and regions. Kahoot! has even been named the #1 most used classroom engagement and instruction platform in U.S. K-12 schools. 

Seeing Kahoot!’s strong presence in education, researchers around the world have asked the question: How does Kahoot! impact student learning?

We are proud to say that Kahoot! is backed by extensive research, including over 100 academic studies, showing how Kahoot! boosts engagement, active participation, and motivation in learning. 

Many studies have demonstrated that using Kahoot! improved learning outcomes, as well as the classroom experience. For example, a literature review of 93 studies found that in both K-12 and higher education environments, “Kahoot! has had a positive effect on learning performance, classroom dynamics, attitudes, and anxiety,” with 70% of the relevant studies showing Kahoot! significantly raised students’ test scores or final grades.

As researchers from the University of Murcia noted, interactivity and the friendly competition of Kahoot!’s game-based approach can be a powerful driver in learning: 

“The use of Kahoot! in the classroom leads to an improvement in student performance, translated into better marks, but that is the result of the benefits of the use of Kahoot!: increase in participation, concentration and commitment that the holding of games of this game has provoked, especially not only because of the desire to surpass oneself and other classmates but also because of the possibilities for self-evaluation and feedback that the use of Kahoot! provides.”

Professors Shawwa and Kamel, researchers at King Abdulaziz University, echoed this in their findings that, “Kahoot! sessions motivated students to study, focus on the essential concepts, and reflect on what they had learned.” They also showed how Kahoot! enables educators to track their students’ understanding of the lesson in real time, which, “allowed for immediate corrections and facilitated retaining knowledge, as indicated by the final exam results.”

Researchers have also explored the impact and benefits of Kahoot!’s other award-winning learning apps. A recent study from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts showed 7th grade students improving their math problem solving skills using Kahoot! Algebra 2 by DragonBox during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping students to continue strengthening these key skills during a challenging time. Another study published in the AERA Open journal offered similar findings, that students who learned with Kahoot! Algebra 2 by DragonBox achieved higher assessment scores and displayed greater understanding of algebraic concepts.

As this wealth of research highlights, Kahoot!’s suite of learning solutions are not only globally popular, but also based on powerful pedagogy to drive impactful learning through engagement.

Explore Kahoot!’s tailored offerings for teachers, students, schools, and school districts, and start making learning awesome today!