North-West University expert brings Kahoot Higher Ed Meetup

Kurt Naicker, a senior lecturer and chartered accountant at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Accounting Sciences, recently presented the first virtual annual Kahoot Higher Ed Meetup and 10-year celebration of bringing awesomeness to classrooms worldwide.

Kahoot is a tool that can be used to engage students in the learning process by using gamification techniques. It is an online game-based learning platform that allows educators to create and share interactive quizzes, surveys, and discussions with their students.

He says that, given the advancement of technology, students strongly embrace it in the classroom, as many attend classes with laptops, tablets and cell phones.

“I needed a tried and trusted tool that would allow executing the learning objectives in a manner that was effective and efficient but, most of all, a device that would enable my students to engage with the material and participate in the classroom in a fun and interactive way,” he adds.

“Kahoot has given me an invaluable perspective on enhancing the overall learning experience, increasing student engagement, and finding innovative and creative ways to execute student assessments and ultimately have fun in the classroom,” he adds.

Kurt explains that Kahoot makes learning fun because it allows students to use their cell phones in the classroom.

“For example, we used Kahoot to prepare for students’ board examinations, and it helped to reiterate the fundamental principles they had to understand to be successful in the exam. The play-again mode encouraged students to persevere through challenging questions, and allowed them to pause, rethink, and reflect on their answers to identify knowledge gaps and develop soft skills such as communication and time management skills.

“It definitely paid off – some students’ grades have increased by 27% since the previous test.”

Kurt says other members of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences have also purchased Kahoot licenses, and that they are thrilled to use the tools and resources to implement innovative teaching and learning technologies that will increase student success rates.