Engaging, Motivating, and Strengthening Learning Preferences with Kahoot! in Higher Education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55420/2693.9193.v16.n1.353Keywords:
Kahoot!; student engagement; learning preferences; metacognition.Abstract
Many college learners, especially first-generation and multilingual students, benefit from instruction that is interactive and culturally responsive. To present a practical framework for using Kahoot! to (1) boost motivation and engagement, and (2) help students surface and strengthen their learning preferences through metacognitive reflection. We map core Kahoot! formats (Quiz, Type Answer, Slider, Drop Pin, Puzzle, Poll/Scale, and Word Cloud) to learning modalities (visual, auditory, read/write, kinesthetic; social/collaborative), student-centered pedagogy (active learning, inclusive design, culturally sustaining practices), and flexible delivery modes (online synchronous and in-person with technology). We include ready-to-adopt prompts (e.g., chart interpretation, digestion-sequence puzzle, affective scenario polling) that pair each activity with a brief reflective question, allowing students to identify what helped them learn and why. This approach reframes Kahoot! from a “game” to a guided practice with rapid feedback and metacognitive checks, supporting persistence while honoring the expressive cultural strengths common among Hispanic/Latinx learners. Faculty can implement this framework in online, HyFlex, and face-to-face courses to increase participation, reduce performance anxiety, and make learning-strategy awareness an explicit outcome.
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