Biology
Using Kahoot! for Class Engagement
Project Overview
Student engagement is a concern in my classroom. I teach Anatomy and Physiology (BIO116/BIO117) which is the study of the structures and functions of the human body systems. I am very heavy lecture based, and I needed a tool to help ensure that my students were grasping the material. After reviewing a few virtual quiz formats, I chose to use Kahoot! Kahoot! is composed of prewritten or personally created quiz questions to spark the student’s retention of the material covered during lecture. Kahoot! allowed me to write trivia type questions to be answered during lecture. After each major topic in lecture, I implant a Kahoot! question in my PowerPoint that deals with the topic covered to test the students understanding of the subject matter.
Planning Process
Kahoot! trivia questions are written by me and geared to mirror expected questions on the exams. I teach Anatomy and Physiology and the volume of material is expansive. A quiz question inserted after every major topic and will be a refresher on main points. I choose an appropriate downloaded image for each question for a visual cue. The background for each question is appropriate for all students and accessible. The questions are true/false, multiple choice, or puzzle, which is an ordering question. I set the time limit for 20 seconds per question.
The students are asked to download the Kahoot! app on their phone or computer before the start of class. Directions were provided in Brightspace. The students were given an access code specific for that class’s set of trivia questions. Once they enter in the access code, they will type in their first initial and last name, and they are ready to play! If the students prefer to use a pseudonym, they may, if I know the reference. The trivia question and image will be displayed and the answer choices also. A background music jingle will be played, and a clock will be shown to signal the time countdown. After the time has lapsed, a screen will show the first, second, and third place students. Scores are based on correctness and speed of selecting an answer.
Plan B was to use Poll Everywhere or Padlet. I found success in Kahoot! so plan B was not necessary.
Implementation
Implementation of the ThingLink comprehensive portfolio occurred in Fall 2021 in EXS 302. I practiced setting up and running through multiple ThingLinks without issue, however when time came to go through it in the student walkthrough, students had many difficulties getting access to the platform. It became a standstill as some students were able to easily log on while others were asked for passwords, and others access codes. Smooth is not a word I would use to describe this experience. After a few minutes of trouble shooting, it came to a hard stop while I reached out for help from IT and the tech fellow mentors. Fast forward 48 hours and we tried again making sure all students were logging in through their Chatham accounts and passwords rather than creating new accounts. Plan B was to revert to a word processing portfolio and adjust requirements to make them more visually appealing than in the past.
Students navigated the setup of ThingLink with relative ease and positive feedback as they each could put their own unique flavor into their projects. After the initial setup of the “hot spot” links and OneDrive folders students were instructed on how to create subfolders in anticipation of working on this throughout the semester as assignments were completed.
Students were reminded throughout the semester to upload documents, assignments, and artifacts to ThingLink. Those that worked along the way created a robust repository for content, information, and assignments.
Assessment
I assessed my project both formally and informally. I inquired verbally in class of the pros and cons of the trivia quizzes. Most students enjoyed the new interaction and thought the trivia was fun and informative. They began to look forward to the questions.
I posted a survey through survey monkey to formally inquire of the student’s opinion of Kahoot! trivia questions. 80% of the students who completed the survey agreed that Kahoot! was a useful tool for material retention and student engagement. The results of the 12 students polled are as follows:
- On a scale of 1-3, with 1 being most difficult, 2 being ambivalent, and 3 being least difficult, please rate how difficult you thought Kahoot! was to navigate.
1: 2 responded most difficult to navigate
2: 1 ambivalent
3: 9 responded least difficult to navigate
- On a scale of 1-3, with 1 being least appealing, 2 being ambivalent, and 3 being most appealing, please rate the layout and appearance of Kahoot! trivia questions.
1: 0
2: 0
3: 12 responded most appealing
- Please rate the educational value of participating in classroom Kahoot! trivia questions on a scale of 1-3, with 1 being least value, 2 being ambivalent, and 3 being most value.
1: 1 least value
2: 0
3: 11 most value
I think this project was of value to both me and my students. I found the project helpful because students markedly got questions correct on my exams that were similar to the Kahoot! trivia questions. The project was valuable to the students in that they received slightly higher exam scores. The need for additional Kahoot! questions in future lectures is apparent.
Reflections and Next Steps
I was very happy with the ease of setting up my trivia questions and quality of the format. I was pleased with the ability to write my own questions and not just use a question bank. I was also grateful to be able to use downloaded images and not just stock photos. I plan to use this quizzing app for points in the future on more difficult questions or possibly problem-based learning questions where the students will need to apply their knowledge a bit more. I also plan to use video questions with demonstrations on models or dissections. I learned that the students appreciated having “practice” exam questions in a fun interactive format. It also proved to modestly boost attendance and if used for points or bonus, will increase attendance even further. I feel this project increased lecture absorption expectations and student engagement improved.
