Kahoot! as a Tool to Maintain Students’ Attention and Increase Retention Rates: An Experience Report with Computer Science Students

In the present study, we explore the current research on Kahoot! and address some concerns related to the effectiveness of the tool. We report on an experiment that we conducted with 39 computer science students in an introductory programming course, which aimed to investigate the use of Kahoot! in two-hour-long practice sessions. Results highlight some interesting aspects revealed from the students’ feedback: Kahoot! proved to be an exciting and motivational tool that enabled learners to focus better. The students also perceived the tool as helpful in remembering previously taught concepts but not so much for newly taught concepts. Their overall feedback was that Kahoot! is a very useful add-on to the lesson but cannot replace traditional teaching methods. Some of the limitations of Kahoot! are related to teacher involvement (as they need to choose the right questions and allocated time) and the necessity of using a mobile device in the classroom, which might cause distractions.