Guide to game-based learning platforms

There's so many game-based learning platforms to choose from it can be very daunting for time starved teachers like yourself to figure out which one is most suitable for you and your student's needs. In this guide, we will go through the main features and differences between game-based learning platforms like Kahoot!, Quizizz, Blooket and Gimkit.

Summary

If you do not have time to read through everything, here's a quick summary.

Game-based learning platforms can be split into two camps, they are either quiz centric or game centric. In quiz centric platforms, like Kahoot! and Quizizz, they deliver a quiz with game-like elements to make it more engaging. In game centric platforms, like Blooket and Gimkit, they deliver a game that incorporates quiz answering into its gameplay.

Both kinds of platforms have their own use case. While game centric apps are more fun and are suitable for learners that lack intrinsic motivation, the trade off is that less time is spent working on the assessment compared to quiz centric apps, which mostly deliver the questions as a straight quiz.

If you thinking of doing a live quiz game in class

Use either Kahoot or Quizizz.

If you thinking of doing a live quiz game in class and your questions are long

Use Quizizz. Kahoot restricts question text to be within 120 characters (roughly 20 word sentence).

If your students lack intrinsic motivation

Use Blooket or Gimkit, they have lots of fun games. The choice between Blooket and Gimkit boils down to preference. Both of them offer vastly different kind of games with little overlap. More in the guide below on the kind of games they have.

Here's a table of the important differences and features of all these platforms.

Kahoot!

Kahoot is the granddaddy of game base learning and one that needs no introduction. The bread and butter of the Kahoot! experience is in hosting a live game that pits individual students against each other. The speed at which the question is answered correctly increases the score obtained by the participant.

Best Known for:

• Live quiz game
• Competition between individual participants
• Scored based on speed at which questions are answered correctly

Important limitations:

• Question text and choice text must be within 120 and 75 characters respectively

Quizizz

Quizizz is Kahoot's most significant and, perhaps only, credible competitor. It's major innovation was in creating a Kahoot-like live quiz experience but have it student paced instead of instructor led. A student paced quiz allows all students to answer each question at their own pace without waiting for one another, like the default Kahoot experience. This differentiator however has been eroded away in recent times with most platforms adopting it.

Best Known for:

• Student paced Live quiz game

Blooket

While both Kahoot! and Quizizz are straight quizzes with a fastest-response-win competition between participants, Blooket departs from both of them by being, first and foremost, a game that has quiz answering inside it as part of the gameplay. Additionally, Blooket also allows players to earn coins after the completion of the game, which can be used to buy in app avatars (aka Blooks). This allows the gaming experience to extend pass the end of individual quizzes into something that is cumulative throughout the student's entire educational journey.

Best Known for:

• Making quiz question answering engaging and fun
• Outstanding homework mode

Things to take note:

• Some games contains gameplay actions that allow participants to hinder one another (e.g. swapping of scores). This may upset some younger participants and should be managed appropriately.

Here are two games from Blooket:

Gimkit

Similar to Blooket, Gimkit is game centric where quiz question answering is a part of the gameplay. Unlike Blooket, Gimkit focuses on live synchronous games. In fact, they brand themselves as a live learning game show.

Best Known for:

• Live quiz game show learning

Things to take note:

• Restricts question text to be within 220 characters.
• Must have exactly 4 choices in MCQ, no more no less.
• Very basic homework mode that comes with no native games.

Here two games from Gimkit:



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About Us

GETMARKED is a startup whose mission is to help teachers automated away tedious and toilsome work. We have developed a tool that can help you one-click import any of your existing Word document quizzes into Kahoot, Quizizz, Blooket, Gimkit, Canvas, Blackboard or any other LMS. Your quiz can be in any format or layout, we will intelligently extract the questions inside it.