How to Send a Kahoot: A Step-by-Step Guide for Engaging Learning
Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that has revolutionized the way educators and trainers engage their audiences. It allows you to create interactive quizzes, surveys, and presentations that can be played live in classrooms, remote meetings, or even as self-paced challenges. Knowing how to send a Kahoot effectively is crucial for maximizing its impact and ensuring a smooth and engaging experience for participants. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step, from creating your Kahoot to sharing it with your audience and analyzing the results. We’ll cover various methods for sending Kahoots, including live games, self-paced challenges, and integration with learning management systems (LMS). Let’s dive in!
## What is Kahoot! and Why Use It?
Before we get into the ‘how,’ let’s quickly recap what Kahoot! is and why it’s so popular:
* **Game-Based Learning:** Kahoot! transforms learning into a fun and competitive game, boosting engagement and motivation.
* **Interactive Quizzes:** Create quizzes with multiple-choice questions, images, and videos to test knowledge and reinforce concepts.
* **Surveys and Polls:** Gather instant feedback and opinions from your audience with polls and surveys.
* **Presentations:** Deliver interactive presentations with engaging visuals and built-in quizzes.
* **Easy to Use:** Kahoot! is incredibly user-friendly, making it accessible to both creators and players.
* **Real-Time Feedback:** Track player performance and identify areas where students may need extra support.
* **Versatile:** Kahoot! can be used in various settings, from classrooms to corporate training sessions.
## Step 1: Creating Your Kahoot!
If you haven’t already, you’ll need to create a Kahoot! account. You can sign up for free at kahoot.com. They offer various subscription plans with different features, but the free plan is sufficient for basic quiz creation and gameplay.
Once you have an account, follow these steps to create your Kahoot!:
1. **Log in to Your Account:** Go to kahoot.com and log in with your credentials.
2. **Click ‘Create’:** In the top right corner of the dashboard, you’ll find a ‘+ Create’ button. Click on it.
3. **Choose a Kahoot Type:** You’ll be presented with different Kahoot! types:
* **Quiz:** The most common type, featuring multiple-choice questions with a time limit.
* **Course:** A structured learning path with multiple Kahoots and learning materials.
* **Presentation:** Combine slides with interactive quizzes and polls.
* **Brainstorm:** Gather ideas and feedback from your audience.
* **Word Cloud:** Collect single-word answers to visualize the most common responses.
For this guide, we’ll focus on creating a ‘Quiz’. Select ‘Quiz’.
4. **Add a Title and Description:** Give your Kahoot! a clear and concise title that reflects its content. Add a brief description to provide context for players. You can also add a cover image to make your Kahoot! more visually appealing. Consider adding a relevant hashtag to your description to help others find your Kahoot! if you make it public.
5. **Add Your First Question:** Click on the ‘Add question’ button to create your first question. Choose from various question types:
* **Quiz (Multiple Choice):** The standard multiple-choice question.
* **True/False:** A simple true or false question.
* **Type Answer:** Players type in the correct answer (best for short, specific answers).
* **Puzzle (Jumble):** Players arrange answers in the correct order.
* **Poll:** Gather opinions and feedback (no correct answer).
* **Word Cloud:** Collect single-word answers.
* **Open-Ended:** Players provide more detailed, free-form answers.
* **Slide:** Add informational slides between questions.
For a standard quiz, select ‘Quiz’.
6. **Enter Your Question:** Type your question into the question field. Be clear and concise. Use strong verbs and avoid ambiguity.
7. **Add Answer Options:** Enter the possible answer options below the question. Clearly mark the correct answer by clicking the checkbox next to it. Make sure you have at least two answer options, and aim for three to four for optimal engagement. Provide plausible but incorrect distractors to challenge players.
8. **Set Time Limit:** Choose a time limit for each question. The default is usually sufficient, but adjust it based on the difficulty of the question and the expected response time. Shorter time limits can increase the challenge and excitement, while longer time limits allow for more thoughtful consideration.
9. **Adjust Point Value:** You can adjust the point value for each question. Standard questions usually have a default point value, but you can increase or decrease it based on the importance of the question. Consider awarding more points for more difficult questions.
10. **Add an Image or Video (Optional):** You can add an image or video to your question to make it more engaging or to provide context. Click on the image icon to upload an image from your computer or insert a video from YouTube or Vimeo.
11. **Repeat for All Questions:** Repeat steps 5-10 to add all the questions to your Kahoot!. Think carefully about the order of your questions. Consider starting with easier questions to build confidence and gradually increase the difficulty. Group similar questions together to maintain focus.
12. **Save Your Kahoot!:** Once you’ve added all your questions, click the ‘Done’ button in the top right corner to save your Kahoot!. Give your Kahoot! a clear and descriptive title. Add a relevant description to help others understand the topic. Choose a visibility setting (Public, Unlisted, or Private) to control who can access your Kahoot!.
## Step 2: Sending Your Kahoot! – Different Methods
Now that you’ve created your Kahoot!, let’s explore the different ways to send it to your audience:
### Method 1: Live Game (Classic and Team Mode)
This is the most common and interactive way to play Kahoot!. It involves projecting the Kahoot! on a screen and having players join with their devices using a game PIN.
1. **Select ‘Play’:** From your Kahoot! library, click on the Kahoot! you want to play and then click the ‘Play’ button.
2. **Choose a Game Mode:** You’ll be presented with two options:
* **Classic Mode:** Each player plays individually on their own device.
* **Team Mode:** Players are divided into teams and collaborate to answer questions.
Choose the mode that best suits your audience and learning objectives. Classic mode is ideal for individual assessments, while team mode promotes collaboration and communication.
3. **Game Options:** Before launching the game, you can customize various game options:
* **Friendly Nickname Generator:** Automatically generates fun and appropriate nicknames for players.
* **Randomize Question Order:** Shuffles the order of questions to prevent cheating and increase engagement.
* **Randomize Answer Options:** Shuffles the order of answer options for each question.
* **Show Questions and Answers on Player Devices:** Enables players to see the questions and answers on their own screens (recommended for remote learning).
* **Two-Step Join:** Requires players to solve a simple math problem to join the game, preventing bots from joining.
* **Team talk (Team Mode only):** Allows teams a short conference time between questions.
* **Music Volume:** Adjust the volume of the Kahoot! music.
Carefully review and adjust these options based on your preferences and the needs of your players.
4. **Launch the Game:** Click the ‘Classic’ or ‘Team Mode’ button to launch the game.
5. **Share the Game PIN:** A unique game PIN will be displayed on the screen. Instruct players to go to kahoot.it on their devices (phones, tablets, or computers) and enter the PIN.
6. **Players Join:** Players enter the PIN and choose a nickname. As players join, their nicknames will appear on the screen. Encourage players to use appropriate nicknames.
7. **Start the Game:** Once all players have joined (or after a reasonable waiting time), click the ‘Start’ button to begin the game.
8. **Present the Questions:** The questions and answer options will be displayed on the screen. Players select their answers on their devices within the allotted time.
9. **Review Results:** After each question, the results will be displayed, showing the percentage of players who chose each answer. You can use this opportunity to review the correct answer and explain any misconceptions.
10. **Final Scoreboard:** At the end of the game, the top players will be displayed on the scoreboard. Celebrate the winners and acknowledge the participation of all players.
### Method 2: Self-Paced Challenge (Assign as Homework)
This method allows players to complete the Kahoot! at their own pace, within a specified timeframe. It’s ideal for assigning homework, reviewing material, or providing self-directed learning opportunities.
1. **Select ‘Assign’:** From your Kahoot! library, click on the Kahoot! you want to assign and then click the ‘Assign’ button (it might also be represented by an icon that looks like a diamond with a play symbol inside).
2. **Set a Deadline:** Choose a deadline for completing the Kahoot!. This ensures that players complete the challenge within a reasonable timeframe. Consider the length of the Kahoot! and the availability of your players when setting the deadline.
3. **Customize Options:** You can customize several options for the challenge:
* **Friendly Nickname Generator:** (Same as Live Game)
* **Randomize Question Order:** (Same as Live Game)
* **Show Questions and Answers on Player Devices:** (Same as Live Game) – Strongly recommended for self-paced challenges as players won’t have a shared screen to view.
* **Player Identifier:** Require players to enter their name or ID so you can track their progress. This is essential for grading and assessing individual performance.
4. **Create Challenge:** Click the ‘Create’ button to generate a challenge link.
5. **Share the Challenge Link:** Share the challenge link with your players through email, messaging apps, or your learning management system (LMS). You can also copy the link and paste it into a document or presentation.
6. **Players Complete the Challenge:** Players click on the link and enter the game PIN or their name (depending on the settings you chose). They then complete the Kahoot! at their own pace, within the specified deadline.
7. **Track Progress:** You can track player progress and view their results in your Kahoot! account. Go to the ‘Reports’ section to see who has completed the challenge and their scores. You can download the results in a spreadsheet format for further analysis.
### Method 3: Integrating with Learning Management Systems (LMS)
Kahoot! integrates seamlessly with many popular learning management systems, such as Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Canvas, and Schoology. This allows you to easily assign Kahoots as assignments, track student progress, and integrate Kahoot! data into your LMS gradebook.
The integration process varies depending on the LMS you are using. Here’s a general overview:
1. **Find the Kahoot! Integration:** In your LMS, look for the Kahoot! app or integration option. It may be located in the app store, extension marketplace, or assignment settings.
2. **Connect Your Kahoot! Account:** Follow the instructions to connect your Kahoot! account to your LMS. You may need to authorize the connection and grant access to your Kahoot! data.
3. **Create an Assignment:** Create a new assignment in your LMS and select the Kahoot! activity type.
4. **Choose a Kahoot!:** Select the Kahoot! you want to assign from your Kahoot! library.
5. **Configure Assignment Settings:** Set the assignment deadline, grading criteria, and other relevant settings.
6. **Publish the Assignment:** Publish the assignment to your students. They will be able to access the Kahoot! directly from within your LMS.
7. **Track Student Progress:** Track student progress and view their scores in your LMS gradebook. The integration will automatically sync student data from Kahoot! to your LMS.
Refer to your LMS documentation for specific instructions on integrating with Kahoot!.
### Method 4: Sharing Directly with a Link (Unlisted Kahoots)
If you want to share a Kahoot! with a specific group of people without making it publicly searchable, you can set the visibility to ‘Unlisted’ and share the direct link.
1. **Set Visibility to ‘Unlisted’:** When you are editing your Kahoot! (or after saving it), change the visibility setting from ‘Public’ to ‘Unlisted’.
2. **Copy the Shareable Link:** After setting the visibility to ‘Unlisted’, a shareable link will be generated. Copy this link.
3. **Share the Link:** Share the link with the intended recipients via email, messaging app, or any other private communication channel.
Only those who have the link will be able to access and play the Kahoot!.
## Step 3: Analyzing Results and Providing Feedback
After your players have completed the Kahoot!, it’s essential to analyze the results and provide feedback. This will help you understand what your players have learned, identify areas where they may need extra support, and improve your Kahoot! design for future use.
1. **Access the Reports:** In your Kahoot! account, go to the ‘Reports’ section to view the results of your Kahoots.
2. **Review Overall Performance:** The reports provide an overview of the overall performance of your players, including the average score, the number of players who completed the Kahoot!, and the most challenging questions.
3. **Analyze Question-by-Question Performance:** Drill down into the question-by-question performance to see how many players answered each question correctly. This will help you identify questions that were particularly difficult or confusing.
4. **Identify Common Misconceptions:** Look for patterns in the incorrect answers to identify common misconceptions. This will help you address these misconceptions in future lessons or activities.
5. **Review Individual Player Performance:** Examine the performance of individual players to identify those who may need extra support. You can see which questions they answered correctly and incorrectly, and how long it took them to answer each question.
6. **Provide Feedback:** Provide feedback to your players based on their performance. Praise their successes and offer constructive criticism on areas where they can improve. You can provide feedback individually or as a group.
7. **Download the Results:** You can download the results in a spreadsheet format for further analysis. This allows you to create custom reports, track student progress over time, and integrate Kahoot! data into your gradebook.
8. **Use Results to Improve Your Kahoot!:** Use the results to improve your Kahoot! design. Revise confusing questions, add more challenging questions, and adjust the time limits to optimize engagement and learning.
## Best Practices for Sending Engaging Kahoots
* **Keep it Concise:** Aim for short, focused Kahoots that cover specific learning objectives.
* **Use Visuals:** Incorporate images and videos to make your Kahoots more engaging and memorable.
* **Vary Question Types:** Use a variety of question types (multiple choice, true/false, type answer, etc.) to keep players interested.
* **Provide Clear Instructions:** Make sure players understand how to join and play the Kahoot!.
* **Set Appropriate Time Limits:** Adjust the time limits to match the difficulty of the questions and the expected response time.
* **Offer Incentives:** Consider offering small rewards or recognition to the top players to motivate participation.
* **Foster a Positive Learning Environment:** Emphasize the importance of learning and participation over competition.
* **Debrief After the Game:** Take time to review the results and discuss the key concepts covered in the Kahoot!.
* **Make it Fun!** The primary goal is to make learning enjoyable. Use humor, engaging visuals, and interactive elements to create a positive and memorable experience.
* **Consider Accessibility:** Be mindful of players with disabilities. Use clear fonts, provide alternative text for images, and offer audio descriptions for videos.
## Troubleshooting Common Issues
* **Players can’t join the game:** Double-check the game PIN and make sure players are entering it correctly. Ensure that the Kahoot! server is not experiencing any technical issues.
* **Players are experiencing lag or connection problems:** Ensure that players have a stable internet connection. Reduce the number of players participating in the game simultaneously.
* **Players are using inappropriate nicknames:** Enable the friendly nickname generator or manually remove inappropriate nicknames.
* **The Kahoot! is not displaying correctly on player devices:** Ensure that players are using a compatible browser or device. Clear the browser cache and cookies.
By following these steps and best practices, you can effectively send Kahoots and create engaging learning experiences for your audience. Kahoot! is a powerful tool that can transform the way you teach and train, so take the time to master its features and customize it to meet your specific needs. Happy Kahooting!