Did you know Gimkit was designed by a high school student from Seattle? In 2017, Josh Feinsilber created Gimkit for a school project, aiming to design a game that other students would want to play. His work turned out to be a success—now, over 100,000 students regularly use Gimkit to study. Although we've found plenty of online educational resources, not all of them have achieved such a hold on teachers and students alike. But Gimkit's fun online learning games remain popular, mainly because they introduce an element of competition into the classroom. Students need both background knowledge and collaboration skills to succeed, working individually or in teams to answer game show–style questions. Let's explore what makes Gimkit a valuable classroom tool.
Organizing Gimkit review games in the classroom.
Each Gimkit quiz—called a "kit"—is composed of questions with correct and incorrect answers. To start a game on Gimkit, teachers can either write their own quiz from scratch or copy (and modify, if desired) pre-existing games from the Gimkit library. Then, students will view the questions on their own devices and answer them correctly to move on. While students can set up accounts on a desktop computer or laptop, it’s best to play the actual games on a mobile device. When students answer questions correctly, they receive in-game virtual money. But, like any game show, they’ll lose money when they answer a question wrong! They can spend the virtual money on power-ups within the game. Power-ups can award extra points per correct answer, give students a second chance if they answer incorrectly, and more.
After teachers have created a kit, then the fun can begin. Gimkit offers several game modes in which to play a kit, separated into five categories: Featured, 2D Modes, Fun Picks, Tycoon Twists (previously Classic Twists), and Fun & Games. In 2D games, for example, students explore different worlds with characters called Gims, completing activities such as fishing, winning a "Blastball" soccer game, or evading another player's cursed snowball! Some game modes require students to play in teams, while others are played individually. To help teachers pick the perfect game mode, Gimkit includes labels on each game to describe their characteristics—such as "emphasizes interaction," "strategic," or "collaborative." Then, students simply enter the code to join the game on their devices and have fun.
Why gamify learning with Gimkit?
Like any learning game, Gimkit increases students' motivation to participate through rewards and entertainment, but its usefulness goes beyond simple fun. When creating a quiz, teachers have the option to include media, such as a photo or audio clip, with each question. By associating information with audiovisual content, students will reinforce the material in their minds. But that's not the only way to reinforce learning through Gimkit. Students also have the opportunity to answer questions more than once—even after they get them right. This feature helps ensure they master concepts and understand key focus areas. It also helps them recall relevant information over longer periods of time, ensuring that it stays fresh in their minds.
How educators benefit from Gimkit.
While Gimkit offers a fun way for students to learn, it also has its own sets of benefits for teachers. After each game, Gimkit provides a comprehensive data report. Teachers can see data that highlight the strength and growth areas of the class as a whole, as well as specific reports for individual children. The data includes information on students' overall accuracy and their answers to each question. However, note that the report only shows the student's first response, no matter how many times they retake the quiz.
Gimkit is not only fun and useful for students in the classroom, but it's also beneficial for them at home. Teachers can assign various homework challenges for students to complete outside school, and the Gimkit technology provides a grade automatically. Students can even contribute to the questions using the KitCollab feature. This enables teachers to build quizzes with one question from each student. As you might guess, this helps classes cover a greater range of topics and increases student contributions and critical thinking.
How to join Gimkit.
To join Gimkit, students and teachers can create a free account or sign up for a paid plan. The paid option, Gimkit Pro, provides additional features and access for up to every teacher in a school building. If you’re looking for a fun way to spice up classroom reviews, Gimkit should be on your radar. After you research learning with Gimkit, check out our store as well for all of the latest innovative EdTech. Follow us on Twitter(X) and Instagram for more!
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