The methods of education have been changing with the revolutionary introduction of online resources and websites like Kahoot!, Blooket, Gimkit, etc. In this post, we’ll take a brief look at the free web-based learning with games platform- Blooket, and how to use and play it.
The COVID 19 pandemic has made remote learning the new norm. So, teachers have been looking for innovative ways to keep the students learning without getting bored. Educational classroom games, quizzes, polls, and reviews play an integral role in that.
Such activities help the teacher to easily gain the attention of the students and allow students to utilize their complete potential to learn new things while staying engaged. If you are a teacher still using brick-and-mortar ways of teaching, and not employing the latest methods, I’d recommend slightly tweaking your approach.
You can start with using Blooket. Here is a brief guide to what it is, how to use it, and how your students can play games to learn what you’ve been trying to teach.
What is Blooket?
Blooket is the latest addition to the revolutionary game-based learning concept used by teachers and students. It is a free website focusing on bringing an alternative and fun way of learning using a vast range of classroom games where students get rewarded for answering correctly.
This fun online education platform was created by Tom Stewart and Ben Stewart with the main focus on making teaching and learning memorable. Booket currently does not have an app, and only has a website.
Teachers can use it to create “sets” of questions on any topic, and they can also use “sets” formed by other educators. Each set of questions can be used to host different games for students to play.
How does it work?
The working concept of Blooket is very simple and straightforward. First teachers have to register an account, create or import a set of questions, or use a set created by other teachers on the platform.
After that, they have to choose a game, host it, and share the Game ID with students, so they can join. Students do not have to create an account. They can directly join using a Game ID.
Students can start playing the game and will have to answer the questions chosen by their teacher. When the game is complete, the teacher can analyze the result and see how their students are performing.
Pros of Blooket
Blooket eases out the process of teaching for educators and makes learning very entertaining for students. Here is a list of advantages that Blooket offers to both:
- Teachers can import and use the same set of questions for different games. It even allows them to use sets created by other educators.
- Students can participate in games at their own speed to answer questions. They don’t have to wait for a timer to complete, or for other students who are slower or faster than them.
- The games on Blooket put students in competition with each other. This raises the motivation among students to perform better and stay engaged.
- The games on the platform are so entertaining that they can keep students of any age well attentive.
- Blooket is absolutely free to use and has an interesting user interface.
Cons of Blooket
As every coin has two sides, Blooket does have certain limitations and drawbacks that you shouldn’t ignore. Here is a look at the most critical ones:
- Blooket allows teachers to decide if they want to end the game at a certain time or when someone reaches a certain total. So, a student who completes it quickly may face repetitive questions when there aren’t enough of them.
- There is no built-in reader on the website. So, students will have to read each question by themselves.
- Teachers cannot customize the sets of questions created by other educators.
- If you want to view or receive the report for complete student data, you will have to get a paid account for yourself. The free version only offers a report that shows the percentage of questions that were answered correctly or incorrectly for the class and then each student.
- Some Blooket games are pretty complex, and students may not enjoy them as much as others.
How Teachers can use Blooket?
There is nothing complex about Blooket for teachers and educators. If you are a teacher, here is a simple and brief walkthrough of the platform.
Firstly, you have to create an account on the platform using your email address or Google account. The signup process is absolutely easy and free. After that, log in to your account.
When logged in, you will see the dashboard page from where you can create a set of questions, or choose from options provided within the available question sets. On the left side of the screen, you can see the News, Shortcuts, and other tabs to navigate on the platform.
You can click on Favorites to find and save games, as well as other public question sets you’d like to jeep. There is also a Homework tab that allows you to add or check homework assigned to your students.
You can also find ideas for questions using the Discover Sets tab. After you’ve chosen the question set, you have to select a game from available options. Next, you have to Host the game
After that, you will get a Game ID that you’ll have to share with your students. They’ll be able to join and play the game using this Game ID. Once the students have played, you can view the results and analyze the performance of your students.
How Students can use Blooket to Play Games?
Blooket is extremely simple to use for students anywhere. Students can access the games with or without creating an account. Although creating and having an account is always a better option.
To join a game hosted by their teachers, students only have to input the Game ID for the game or homework. They can also add their nickname and icons.
Students can also use Solot to play online games with their choice of modes from a variety of subjects. This helps them to learn a lot of interesting things without getting bored.
What is a Blook?
Blook is a friendly small block that loves playing. It represents players and there are plenty of them available on Blooket.
Games Available on Blooket
There is a great collection of intriguing and entertaining games on Blooket. Here is a quick look at the best ones.
1. Classic
It is a traditional trivia game that appears very similar to Kahoot. Students have to quickly answer questions to earn points and climb the leaderboard. All students will see the same questions at the same time in this game.
2. Gold Quest
In this game, students will see each question from the set on their device to answer in a self-paced manner. When they answer the questions correctly, they will be given a choice of three chests to open.
Some of them have gold, some of them have nothing, and some allow them to take gold from other players. Whoever has the most gold at the end wins the game.
3. Battle Royale
This game pairs students to answer questions head to head, and you can also set it up in team vs team mode. The student who answers correctly wins the battle and prevails further.
4. Cafe
In this game, students have to answer questions correctly with speed and focus to serve goods and restock supplies in the Cafe run by them. The student which has the most cash at the end wins it.
5. Racing
In this game, students have to quickly and accurately answer questions to move their Blook ahead of the others to win the race.
6. Tower of Doom
In this game, students have to answer questions to collect cards to defeat the Blooks in order to climb the Tower of Doom. It is perfect to use as an assignment or homework.
7. Factory
It is similar to Cafe where students have to answer questions correctly and use their strategy to unlock and upgrade Blooks and run their factory to success.
8. Crazy Kingdom
It is a strategy game where students have to answer the questions correctly to keep their kingdom running by dealing with guests’ requests and managing the resources they have.
Is Blooket better than Kahoot?
Blooket is comparatively newer while Kahoot! is the most credible name of the game-based education industry. Teachers can use either of these to keep the students engaged with learning while also having fun.
However, Blooket has all the elements to be better than Kahoot if it plays its cards right. Kahoot has a number of activities that teachers and students indulge in for learning. Whereas, Blooket offers a wide range of games where students can never get bored.
We had so much fun today using #blooklet to review finding the missing addend. Serving animals food in a cafe and solving equations is such a fun combo! Students even asked for the link to play after school 🥰@MathWithMrsM @NicoleMusarra @CMSmtolive #thisiscms pic.twitter.com/wCO2dSJa2c
— Mrs. O’Halloren (@Mrs_OHalloren) January 29, 2021
It even has the “Classic” game that offers exactly what Kahoot does. And, the best part is that it is absolutely free to use. So, Blooket seems better than Kahoot due to the great collection of games for students.
If you are a teacher and haven’t used it yet, we strongly recommend that you should give Blooket a try. And, this ain’t even a promotional post, it is an honest review. If you have any queries, let us know in the comments section.
Can students rejoin a Blooket or do they have to finish it in one sitting?
I’ve got some teachers who are so excited about Blooket. They say their kids LOVE it. I am invited to play with a class later this week and I can’t wait!