Why not Kahoot! - To motivate your students with a digital game!

Do your students feel bored when reciting the words?
Are your students struggling with words with similar spelling?
Are your classes spiritless and need some motivation?
Here! Use Kahoot to make everybody cheer up!

(website screenshot of Kahoot)

How to use Kahoot

After logging on to the website Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!, you can design your Kahoot subject.

(website screenshot of Kahoot)

Based on your teaching context, you can input the relevant questions and answers. You can also make adjustments to the answering time and marks, as well as the form of answers.

(website screenshot of Kahoot)

After you finish inputting a set of questions, think of a subject for your Kahoot, which allows you to quickly find it in later usage.

(website screenshot of Kahoot)

Here comes the usage. Students will scan the QR code or input the PIN number in the PIN box.

(website screenshot of Kahoot)

Students need to give their answers to the questions in a limited time. After the time is consumed, the correct answer will appear on the screen. (Teachers can give further explanations to the questions at this time.) And students can see their scores and rank on their own devices.

(website screenshot of Kahoot)

Finally, the system will pick the champion, runner-up, and the third place according to their scores.

(website screenshot of Kahoot)

When to use Kahoot

Kahoot can be used in lots of English teaching contexts. Here are some recommendations:

1. Vocabulary: It is a good way to help students remember a series of words along with the targeted word. According to my teaching experience, it is common for students to mix a couple of words with similar spellings. Putting them together and encouraging students to tell the difference between these words will expand students' vocabulary and deepen their understanding.

2. Reading comprehension: Teachers can make up some relevant answers to test whether their students have already understood the text. I once explained a reading to my students and confidently believed that my explanation was clear enough. However, when I asked them to tell me the main idea of the passage, I received a new reading with a completely different meaning! The options with some words related to the topic are more likely to puzzle them! (Note: Remember to give enough and proper thinking time!!!). 

3. Grammar: It is also a good way to input some cloze tests as questions and the answers should be in the correct grammatical form. Students need to grasp the grammar rules and understand the meaning of the passage so that they will get the mark. However, this type of test might increase the difficulty for some students with poor English levels or language beginners. Thus, one more thing that needs to be emphasized is that questions should not be too tough. Too many demanding questions might make students feel more frustrated and prevent them from enjoying this activity. 

Why to use Kahoot

There has already been some research to prove that digital games might impact classroom motivation (Ushioda, 2013). Students might have fun in the thrilling environment and receive a sense of achievement at the end of the game. Kahoot creates such a competitive learning atmosphere. Students need to give answers in a limited time. So, this will drive them to remember words (or something else) as many as possible. Besides, students who want to win the game might have more motivation which will inspire them to put in more effort. It is also a good chance for teachers to guide students to establish the right sense of loss and win. After all, there are just THREE places that will get attention at the end of each game!

Kahoot can also be used to design a teamwork game, which might boost students' team spirit. Peterson (2012) once promoted that language development will occur in social interaction, and the digital game does create such an opportunity. During the collaboration, they also need to cooperate and interact with others. Their negotiation skills will be strengthened in the communication.

Limitations

Kahoot provides tremendous sources for users, and another good news is that you can even use AI to generate your own product! However, the drawback is that you should pay for AI tools and some exquisite templates are not free. What's more, there are just basic functions for the basic version. If your students are more than 40 and want to enjoy more advanced games, you need to upgrade your user level (also pay extra money for it).

Another advantage is that students who don't like competition might feel anxious and stressed, which will discourage them from engaging in the activity. Thus, teachers who want to use Kahoot to motivate their students should ensure that their students feel comfortable and really engage in the game! 

Further explanation about Kahoot

If you need some support or some detailed explanations about this tool, please visit this website How to use Kahoot! AI Question generator – Help and Support Center

Enjoy your English learning trip! Have fun!