Christen Thompson

EDIT 720: Psychology of Instructional Technology

8 February 2016
Multimedia Product Critique Paper #1
Kahoot!
Introduction:
According to the Kahoot! How it Works website, Kahoot! is an educational game that
teachers can create from multiple choice questions. Kahoot! is for students of all ages and can be
used in any subject area. Teachers can add videos, images, and diagrams in order to increase
student engagement (https://getkahoot.com/how-it-works). Kahoot! games, known as Kahoots
should be played in a group setting (such as a classroom), where students have their own devices.
Students play the game on their own device while the questions are displayed on a shared screen
(such as the teachers Smart Board, whiteboard, or screen). According to Kahoot!, social
learning promotes discussion and pedagogical impact (https://getkahoot.com/how-it-works).
They also suggest that the game is effectively played with players from around the world.
Students can create their own Kahoots in order to increase mastery of a topic. Teachers have
multiple options when preparing a Kahoot for their class. Teachers can create custom original
Kahoots, or choose from millions of pre-made Kahoots that they can choose to play or adapt for
their own classroom. Kahoot works on any device that is able to connect to the internet, and
does not require setup time. Students do not have to create accounts, and they can play with
other students in more than 180 countries. In order to use Kahoot! in a classroom setting, the
teacher should launch Kahoot! using a web browser on his or her digitial device, which should
be connected to a screen. The students are prompted to open kahoot.it in their own web
browsers, and enter a game PIN (given to them by the teacher) and a nickname to be identified
by during the game. Teachers can kick participants out of the game if nicknames are
inappropriate. Students select the correct answer on their device as a timer counts down and
displays the number of students who have answered the question. Perhaps the most alluring
feature of Kahoot! is that the game is free to create and playand always will be!
(https://getkahoot.com/how-it-works). In order to determine if Kahoot! follows multimedia
principles and learning theories of educational psychology, Kahoot! will be analyzed in terms of:
Cognitive Load Theory, Multimedia Principle, and Segmenting Principle.
Cognitive Load Theory:
According to Cognitive Load Theory, cognitive load is determined by the demands on
working memory by cognitive activities designed to achieve specific learning goals (Kalyuga,
p. 52). New learners have low-level knowledge while experienced learners have high-level
knowledge. When learners receive new information, it is encoded and stored according to
schemas. Extraneous cognitive load can be imposed on a learner through unsatisfactory
knowledge of a topic or through instructional design (excessive written instructions or
demonstrations). Kahoot! can reduced extraneous cognitive load through its limited use of

written instructions. Teachers are prompted to enter short questions and answers, and have the
option of including graphics that aid in comprehension of the question. Kahoot! can also reduce
extraneous cognitive load because of the simplicity of its user interface. Students are not
bombarded with text and information on their personal devices. Text is displayed on a large
screen in the front of the classroom that the teacher controls.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Students screens contain answer choices represented through shapes and colors. Figure 1 shows
an example of the screen that the teacher would be displaying in front of the class. Figure 2
shows what the students would be able to see and select answer choices from on their personal
devices. Figure source: http://knowledgequest.aasl.org/tuesday-tech-tips-kahoot/. Students who
are overwhelmed by answer choices or who have learning disabilities in reading will benefit
from this feature of Kahoot! that removes erroneous text. The teacher also has the option of
reading the answer choices aloud to students, who then simply have to select the correct answer
on their screens. Students are also not required to sign up for Kahoot! which reduces cognitive
load. Students do not have any usernames or passwords to remember in order to log in and
participate in the classroom activity. Students only need to provide a PIN that will be
automatically generated when the teacher launches the quiz. Students simply input the PIN and a
nickname and they can begin playing instantly. The only time students need to sign up for an
account is if they desire to create their own Kahoots. This account creation is relatively simply
and can be completed in one to two minutes. The account creation allows teachers and students
to browse through preexisting Kahoots as well as create and save their own.
Multimedia Principle:
The Multimedia Principle holds that students learn better from pictures and words than
from words alone. Kahoot! enables teachers to use videos, diagrams, and graphics within their
questions. Teachers can insert educational videos that give students more information about a
topic or provide a hint to help them answer a question. This enables students to learn more
effectively. Kahoot! says that it encourages students to go from learner to leader by enabling
students to share what they have learned with their peers. Kahoot! uses imagery (teacher or
student uploaded graphics), visual cues (such as different colors and shapes that students can
select answer choices from), and proposes the question in a user-friendly visual way.
Segmenting Principle:

The Segmenting Principle of Multimedia Learning says that students learn better when
lessons are presented in user-paced segments instead of a continuous unit. In Kahoot!, users
control the pace of the game by how fast they answer multiple choice questions. Students are
able to determine when they are ready to answer and as soon as the question is closed out, they
get feedback on their personal devices, and top scorers are displayed on the teachers screen.
Instead of the traditional presentation of paper and pencil multiple choice questions tests where
students are given all of the questions and answer choices at the same time, Kahoot! breaks down
the questions into individual question and answer choices. The students are not presented with
the next problem until times runs out or they have answered the previous question.
Conclusion:
Kahoot! adheres to learning theories such as Cognitive Load Theory as well as
Multimedia Learning Theories such as the Multimedia Principle and the Segmenting Principle.
When used correctly, Kahoot! has the ability to increase student motivation and learning through
reducing extraneous cognitive load, utilizing graphics, videos, and diagrams to help students
learn, and allowing students to work at their own pace. Teachers can use Kahoot! as a way of
formative or summative assessment. Kahoot! aims to motivate students in many grade levels
and can be used in any content area (ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, etc.). According to
Johan Brand, CEO of Kahoot!, Play is our first language and shared by all humans. Therefore
its the foundation of our approach to an inclusive & student centered classroom. Inclusive
design for us is both about the interaction design and the behaviors it instigates (How should
you engage with Inclusive Design?).
Works Cited:
How should you engage with Inclusive Design? (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2016, from
<http://www.inclusivedesign.no/ict/ict-kahoot-article172-261.html>.
Kalyuga, S. (2010). Schema acquisition and sources of cognitive load. In J.L. Plass, R. Moreno,
& R. Brnken, Cognitive Load Theory (pp. 48-64). New York: Cambridge.
Wang, A. I. (2013). The wear out effect of a game-based student response system (p. 1-24).
Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Retrieved January 15, 2016 from
<http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~alfw/publications/Wearout_effect_of_game_based_student_response_s
ystem_DRAFT.pdf>.