Four broad types of tool

Live quiz tools such as Kahoot!, Blooket and Gimkit run quick questions with points and timers. They suit retrieval practice and checking understanding at the start or end of a lesson. They reward speed by default, so it is worth switching off timers or using team modes where the platform allows.

Learning platforms can carry longer-term game elements. Moodle supports badges and, through community plugins such as Level Up XP, experience points and levels. Khan Academy shows mastery progress and awards energy points and badges as learners practise.

Behaviour and class-culture tools such as ClassDojo let teachers give points for agreed behaviours and share them with families. Creative platforms such as Minecraft Education and Scratch are closer to game-based learning: pupils build, test and share within a game-like environment.

Low-tech still works

A progress chart on the wall, sticker badges linked to skills, or a class quest written on the board can deliver the same principles without logins or screens. Low-tech options are useful where devices are shared, connectivity is patchy, or you want to trial an idea before choosing software. They also keep the teacher in control of what is rewarded, and they make it easy to change the rules after a week if something is not working.

Questions to ask before choosing

Leaders and teachers can use these questions in a short review meeting.

• What learning behaviour will this tool reward, and is that the behaviour we want?

• Can we turn off public leaderboards or timers if they discourage some pupils?

• What pupil data does it collect, where is it stored, and does it meet our data protection obligations?

• Does it work on the devices and connections we actually have?

• Can teachers export results in a form they will use for planning?

• Is there a free tier, and what happens to our content if we stop paying?

A trial lesson

Ages 12 to 14, 15 minutes, one device per pair and a projector. Run a ten-question vocabulary quiz in team mode with the timer off. Afterwards, spend five minutes on the two questions most teams missed. Note how many pairs discussed answers before submitting. That discussion, not the final score, tells you whether the tool supports learning in your class. Repeat the trial with a second group before deciding, as one lesson rarely gives a clear picture.

Key points

• Choose tools by the learning behaviour you want, not by feature lists.

• Switch off speed pressure and public rankings where they do not help.

• Check data protection before any pupil logs in.

• Test ideas on paper first when devices are limited.

Photos: Vitaly Gariev, Kelly Sikkema / Unsplash