As an educator, you know how important it is to keep your students engaged and excited about learning. Gamification is one of the best ways to do this! By incorporating interactive quiz games into your lesson plans, not only do these online educational games make learning more fun, but they also help reinforce key concepts and boost retention. In this article, we’ll introduce you to the top 5 quiz games that teachers can use for engaging students, all of which are free to use and available online. We’ll also discuss the benefits of using games for student learning.
The benefits of online games for students
Before we dive into the top 5 free quiz games, let’s take a closer look at the benefits of games for students. Here are just a few reasons why as an educator, you should consider incorporating games into your classroom lesson plans:
- Increased engagement: Games are inherently more engaging than traditional learning methods. They provide a fun and interactive way for students to learn study sets, which can help them stay focused and motivated. By incorporating elements of game design, such as rewards, points, and badges, online quiz games can make learning feel like a fun and rewarding experience.
- Better retention: Studies have shown that games can improve knowledge retention. When students are actively engaged in the learning process, they are more likely to remember what they have learned.
- Personalized learning: Many games allow for personalized learning, which means that students can work at their own pace and focus on the areas where they need the most help. It’s also a great way to formatively assess their knowledge.
- Improved teamwork and collaboration: Many quiz games have collaborative features, such as group challenges or multiplayer modes, which can encourage students to work together and learn from one another. This can foster a sense of community and social connection, which can further enhance student engagement.
- Easy accessibility: Online quiz games can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making them a convenient and flexible option for students. This can be especially useful for students who are unable to attend traditional classes due to geographic location or other factors.
- Customization: Online quiz games can be customized to fit the needs and interests of your classroom, making the learning experience more personalized and engaging. This can also help students stay motivated and focused on the topic at hand.
Now that we’ve explored the benefits of online quiz games, let’s take a closer look at the top 5 quiz games that are completely free to and are great for engaging students, whether you’re in person or in an online classroom setting.
1) Classcraft’s Quick Reviews
If you need a fast way to go over curriculum material before a quiz or test, Classcraft’s Quick Review tool is the perfect solution. It’s easy to set up, and you can start playing within minutes. To get started, simply decide how many questions you want to ask and how difficult you want the review to be. You’ll then read aloud questions of any nature and ask your students to answer. If they answer enough questions correctly, they may even get extra rewards for bonus rounds!
It’s ideal for impromptu reviews or as a last-minute study tool. The immediate feedback also allows teachers to quickly identify areas where their students may be struggling and adjust their instruction accordingly.
2) Kahoot!
Kahoot! is a popular quiz game that allows students to compete against each other in real-time. They can play individually or in teams, and the game keeps score, making it a fun way to promote healthy competition. To create a quiz, educators can either start from scratch or choose from a variety of pre-made templates. The quiz can include a mix of multiple-choice, true/false, and open-ended questions, which can be customized to suit the needs of the teacher and their students.
Once the quiz is created, educators can share it with their students via a unique code or link. Students can then access the quiz on their own devices, such as a laptop or smartphone, and participate in the quiz in real-time. As students answer questions, their responses are immediately displayed on a shared screen, which can encourage healthy competition and engagement. Kahoot! is particularly effective for subjects that require problem-solving, critical thinking, or teamwork.
3) Quizlet Live
Quizlet Live is a team-based quiz game that encourages collaboration and communication. Students work together to answer questions, and the game randomly assigns teams to ensure a mix of abilities.To use the Quizlet Live tool, educators create a set of flashcards or questions related to a particular topic. They then start a game by selecting the Quizlet Live option and sharing a unique code with their students. Students then join the game by entering the code on their devices and selecting their team name.
Once the teams are formed, the game begins. Each team member receives a different set of questions from the overall set, which they must answer in order to progress. The goal of the game is for teams to work together to answer all questions correctly and reach the end of the quiz as quickly as possible. This game is perfect for building teamwork and social skills, as well as reinforcing key concepts.
4) Gimkit
Gimkit is a customizable quiz game that allows you to create personalized quizzes for your students. You can add images, videos, and even memes to make the game more engaging. As students answer questions, they earn virtual currency, which can be used to purchase power-ups and other rewards to help them progress through the game.
One of the key features of the Quiz tool by Gimkit is its adaptive learning algorithm, which adjusts the difficulty level of the questions based on each student’s performance. This ensures that each student is challenged at an appropriate level, while also providing targeted feedback and support to help them improve. Gimkit is ideal for personalized learning and student engagement.
5) Classcraft’s Boss Battles
Also part of Classcraft, Boss Battles are similar to Quick Reviews but offer more extensive customization and a slightly different format. With this tool, students answer questions to defeat a virtual creature, which represents a challenge or obstacle that they need to overcome. The teacher can make Boss Battles as easy or as difficult as they want, and students can either battle the boss in teams or solo.
Each correct answer removes a few Hearts from the boss, bringing students one step closer to victory — and rewards! Because teachers can set the number of Hearts a boss has, teachers can create a challenge that is appropriate for each group of students. This tool is particularly effective for subjects that require memorization, such as history, science, or math.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, interactive quiz games are an excellent way to engage students and reinforce learning while addressing the need for formative assessment. By using these top 5 free quizzes for students, you can create a fun and interactive learning environment that will keep your students engaged and motivated. So why not give them a try? You might just be surprised by the results.
Photo Credit: Pexels
Gamification - Student Engagement