Kahoot! is a digital tool used to gamify learning. It is quick and simple to develop professional looking quizzes, easy for students to access, can be done live or asynchronously, and can also be created by students.
Whilst similar quizzing software is available within the University, Kahoot! was specifically mentioned by students in module feedback across subjects and across multiple year groups. Facilitated through the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities Teaching & Learning Innovation Fund 2023/24, this project provided the opportunity to trial Kahoot! and explore student and staff experiences of the software, enabling academics to improve classroom experiences by providing a digital tool for online quizzes.
The project ran for two terms and provided staff with the opportunity to learn about the software, how it might be used and develop resources to support each other. Initially the project was planned to focus on two areas in the Lincoln International Business School (LIBS): Departmental Personal Tutoring sessions and the Professional Development module. However, the project rapidly developed to use Kahoot! across a much wider range of subjects including Languages, Economics, Innovation, Finance, HRM, Tourism, and Marketing. Staff were very keen to engage with this opportunity and felt it added to the diversity of ways they could engage students with their subjects.
During the trial 38 academics used Kahoot! in their teaching. To support wider uptake of Kahoot!, staff training was delivered, including the creation of a how-to-guide and a short video resource. By the end of the project, over 150 ‘Kahoots!’ had been created that enabled more than 1,500 students to experience online quizzes as part of their learning experience.
In the mid-term feedback students stated that they valued Kahoot! being used in modules to improve engagement. However, they also identified that Kahoots! could sometimes be used too much, suggesting that some of the quizzes that had been created should be shorter.
The project team is continuing to explore other software titles available. The project has given LIBS academic staff an opportunity to experiment with online quizzes and see how they might build them into their day-to-day classroom experiences. From those staff involved in the trial, the project clearly showed that there is a demand to keep using online quizzes to continually enhance student classroom engagement.