Kahoot! says more than 10 million teachers use its platform, and quiz games have become a regular part of the school week. But a lively classroom is not the same as a learning classroom. In this episode, two guests weigh in on what separates real learning from a chase for points.
Does Fun Lead to Learning?
Liz Crawford, senior director, global head of education at Kahoot! and a former first-grade teacher, says engagement is meaningless unless it drives outcomes. She points to more than 300 independent peer-reviewed studies and says students score about a grade better on average when they use Kahoot! on a consistent basis. She tells Ira Apfel how retrieval practice and instant feedback make the games work, how teachers can now remove timers and speed points, and how the platform’s artificial intelligence creator turns a teacher’s own materials into a quiz they can edit.
When Is a Quiz Game Real Learning?
Matthew Farber, associate professor of educational technology at the University of Northern Colorado, taught middle school social studies for nine years. He says a quiz game is almost always a review with a timer, and he warns that grading a quiz game is a slippery slope. He explains the difference between gamification and game-based learning, and how a “blind Kahoot” uses neuromyth questions to turn wrong answers into teachable moments. He also makes the case for pairing narrative games with novels, and for putting play ahead of points.
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