I am a frequent user of Kahoot in the classroom. I use it primarily to review material after each unit before quizzes or tests, and I find it to be a great source of formative assessment – the kids that finish in the top five get bonus points or candy, and I get a sense of which questions they are having trouble with, and I’m able to explain misconceptions along the way. And they love playing Kahoot, which is a bonus!
Needless to say, school closure due to the coronavirus crisis has put a bit of a wrench into this practice, but this afternoon I was able to successfully run a Kahoot remotely using Google Meet. I opted to use Google Meet rather than Zoom due to privacy issues associated with the latter, and since my school uses Google for student email accounts and Google Classroom, only individuals with an email address from my school can access Meets that I run.
So how do you set up a Kahoot in Google Meet?
*Tip #1* – Before you start, I recommend installing the Google Meet Grid View extension if you are using Chrome. It allows you to see thumbnail windows of each individual that joins the Meet (similar to Zoom). Click this link and follow instructions to install.
*Tip #2* – I would recommend closing all applications, and having a browser open with just two tabs, one for Kahoot and one for Google Meet. In Kahoot, choose the Kahoot you are going to play, and initiate the login screen that provides the play code. You will share this screen once you are ready to play.
*Tip #3* – Tell students to join the Google Meet on a computer, and to have their phone (or tablet, another computer, etc.) ready to use to play the game. In this situation, their computer is like the projected screen in the classroom, and their second device is what they use to play.
Step 1 – Open Google Meet (you can Google it, or access it from any Google affiliated page via the little 9-square icon on the top right). The initial screen looks like this:
Step 2 – Click “Join or start a meeting.” Give the meeting a name, doesn’t really matter what it is.
Step 3 – Double-check that your camera and microphone are working on the next screen, then click “Join Now.”
Step 4 – On the next screen you will find a link that you can use to invite students to join the Meet (see red box in image below). Copy that and share it with them using whatever platform you typically use (e.g., paste it into an announcement in Google Classroom).
Step 5 – Wait for students to log in. If you have installed Google Meet Grid View you should see a little window pop up each time a new student joins in.
Step 6 – Once everyone is present that wants to participate, click the “Present Now” button on the bottom right. You can choose to share your entire screen, or just one window. I used the entire screen since it makes it easier to click back and forth between the Kahoot window and the window with all of the video/audio thumbnails. This is also why I recommend closing out everything except the Kahoot and Google meet tabs in your browser – reduces risk of sharing your email, gradebook, etc. with all of the kids in your class.
Step 7 – Once your screen is shared, students should be able to see whatever you see on your screen. Click the Kahoot tab on your browser, it should look something like this if you previously loaded up the login screen for your Kahoot:
Step 8 – You should see student nicknames appear as they login to Kahoot. Once everyone is logged in, you can start your Kahoot just as you would in a classroom. Students can see the questions on their computer screen, and answer them using a cell phone or other device. You advance the questions on your end just like you would in the classroom.
Step 9 – When you are done, you can click back to the Google Meet tab. You should be able to see everyone who participated, address questions, and wrap things up.
Step 10 – When you are ready to end the Meet, click “Stop Presenting,” then click the little red telephone icon at the bottom middle of the screen.
And you’re done! This worked great for me, I had 21 students play this afternoon, and aside from one or two who had some lag issues that were likely related to their WIFI connection, all were able to participate without problems.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!