How to create a Kahoot

​I have written several times about my love for Kahoot, but I have never really taken the time to calmly and properly explain how to create a Kahoot. That's why I'm going to do so right now!

Kahoot is a tool that makes it possible to create fun and engaging quizzes in a simple way. The most common way to use it is through quick knowledge questions, but you can also use questions that require more thinking. Kahoot will automatically add compelling music to your quizzes, that makes it more fun.

When the Kahoot begins, you can let the students write their real names or encourage them to be anonymous. Anonymity is good for practice since it lowers the sense of prestige, but if the students use their real names, the answers can become a tool for formative assessment.

Okay, let's get started! Kahoot is built on two different websites (and one app, but in this walkthrough we use a computer!). The teacher will use www.kahoot.com when making and starting a Kahoot. There is also an address named www.kahoot.it, but that one is used by students when they want to play.

The first time you log in, you must create an account. You do this by clicking "sign up". You will then be asked to choose a username and password. It's free to become a basic member and you'll find that there's a lot that you can do in the free version so my suggestion is that you try that first!

Step one when you want to make a Kahoot is to click "Discover". Here you'll find Kahoots from all over the world and you can copy and use them for free. Keep in mind that the more precise you're keywords are, the more accurate Kahoot will appear in the list. I often use the name of the book we use as a keyword and I usually find dozens of Kahoots made by colleagues for each chapter in the book.

There are thousands of Kahoots ready to use and that means that you usually have to spend time creating them! When you find one that you like, you can choose "duplicate" to copy it into your own collection. Once it is there, you can make small changes if you want without affecting the original.

If you really want to create a Kahoot on your own, you press "create" at the top bar. After that, you can choose from three different styles where "quiz" is the most common. "Jumble" is another type where students have to draw answers in the right order. This feature is great if you want the students to list historical events in chronological order!

Once you have chosen what kind of Kahoot you want to make you'll start writing the questions and answers. The correct answer is marked in green and it is possible to mark more than one answer as correct. At the top right you can add photos or YouTube clips for a little extra wow-feeling. I usually take my pictures from Pixabay. If you choose to add a YouTube clip, the students' timer will not start counting until the clip is played, so you needn't worry about the students' time-frame on that question. You just enter the time that the students will be given to pick the right choice. 

There now! Now you are registered and you have a Kahoot to show the world! That means that there is only one thing left and that is to walk into the classroom and listen to the students rejoicing! There are two ways to start a Kahoot. One is to select "Lesson" and the other is to select "Assign". If you are in the classroom and want to play directly, select "Lesson" and after that "Classic". "Assign" is a function that allows a Kahoot to last for one or two weeks and you can share it with the students as homework. When you have selected "Lesson" and "Classic", a number will appear on the screen and that number will be entered by the students on their phones. They can www.kahoot.it (NOTE! .It) or use the Kahoot app. But that part is usually not a problem! I've played Kahoot with hundreds of students and it's weird, but it has never happened that someone did not know how to play. No matter what country you come from, or how old you are, you can play Kahoot. Just play, relax and have fun with your students!