Technology Pursuit

Blending Technology Into the Language Arts Classroom

Choosing the Right Q/A Response Game: Kahoot, Quizizz, Quizalize, or Socrative

Note: A newer post about  Q/A response systems can be found here.

 

With the explosion of edtech in recent years, I’ve received several questions from teachers about what is the best Q/A game app online.

The answer is, it depends what you want it to do. Each app has its own little benefits and specialties, so you have to choose the one that’s going to fit your objectives (Q/A apps focus on DOK 1 & 2) and is going the fit the atmosphere you want your classroom to have that specific day.

Right now there are lots of sites that are gather audience feedback, such as Poll Everywhere and Mentimeter. For the sake of brevity, I’m going to cover four of the most popular apps that have a “gamified” feeling to them: Kahoot, Quizizz, Quizalize, and Socrative. First I’ll give an overview of each one, and then you can compare the four more closely on the table below.


Kahoot: The most well-known and well-used of the four, Kahoot, continues to innovate to keep their app alive and growing. Out of the four, this one develops the most classroom energy and competition — if that’s what you’re looking for. Also, the new addition of Jumble questions allow game-makers to write sequencing questions, and Ghost Mode provides the chance for students to play against their old scores or students from other classes — or perhaps, a principal? Parents at Back to School Night?

Quizizz: A game app I use frequently is Quizizz, which is self-paced, so students can move through the questions at their own pace. I find this app works better if you want students to slow down and think about the questions, especially since you can completely turn off the timer (which I recommend unless your goal is quick recall). Quizizz can also be assigned to students outside of class as a formative assessment.

Quizalize: Like Quizizz, Quizalize can be played either synchronously during class or asynchronously outside of class. What first drew me to Quizalize was the ability to write longer answers — something I wanted for high school students preparing for ACT tests. The app also randomly splits students into two teams, so they’re not competing individually. Recently, Quizalize added a “basketball” version as well.

Socrative: The first Q/A app I used, Socrative is still working to bring great formative assessment digitally. Unlike the other apps, Socrative allows short answer questions (though you’ll have to check them). Why I first started using the app was the Space Race, where student teams compete against each other.

Ultimately, it comes down to what you want to do with the app, for each one has its own benefits for the classroom. For a closer comparison, check out the chart below.

3 Comments

  1. Fantastic summary! Thanks!

    I’m aware that things have probably changed a bit since 2017. I’ll keep my eye out for any updates to this article

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