Faculty of Education

Assessment Task Cover Sheet

Unit Co-ord./Lecturer Dr Janet Dyment

OFFICE USE ONLY

Assessment received:

Tutor:(if applicable)
Student ID 077457
Student Name Ben Hendriks
Unit Code EMT698
Unit Name Curriculum Inquiry and Design
Assessment Task
Assessment Task 2: Teacher Inquiry Proposal
Title/Number
Word Count 2498
I declare that all material in this assessment task is my own work except where there is clear acknowledgement or reference
to the work of others and I have complied and agreed to the University statement on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity on
the University website at www.utas.edu.au/plagiarism *

Signed Ben Hendriks

Date 12/10/2015

*By submitting this assessment task and cover sheet electronically, in whatever form, you are deemed to have made the
declaration set out above.

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EMT698 Curriculum Inquiry and Design

Ben Hendriks 077457

Assessment # 2

Background and Rationale

In EMT698 Assessment Task 1 [AT1] I developed a wondering (Dana &
Yendol-Hoppey, 2014) based on observations I made during my time working on a
Limited Authority to Teach [LAT] in a year 11 non-pre-tertiary mathematics classroom.
In that class I made use of Kahoot, a website which allows teachers to create quizzes and
facilitates quick, formative assessment (Johns, 2015). In AT1 I commented on how
impressed I was by how Kahoot was received by the students and the way that some
students utilised the creative and fun nature of Kahoot. Some students demonstrated
their initiative by using Kahoot for assessments in other subject areas. Whilst some
educational researchers suggest the use of Kahoot (Hovious and Van Eck, 2015; Johns,
2015; Siegle, 2015), little research has been done into how Kahoot affects social
dynamics and academic performance (Wang, 2015). As more apps and websites are
being trialled with the increasing number of interactive devices present in classrooms, it
will be all the more important to conduct research into the impacts which these devices
and specific apps have in a school setting.
A study by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (2014) found
that 94% of Australians between 18-34 years old access the internet using mobile phones
and over 50% access the internet with a tablet device. From my experience on LAT, as
mentioned in AT1, every student had a mobile device or tablet which they could use to
access the internet. As Bringing Your Own Device [BYOD] becomes more popular in
schools, ways of effectively utilising these devices must be investigated, including
utilising the gaming capabilities (Wang, 2015).
Marzano (2010) found from sixty studies that implementing games into the
classroom correlated with a 20 percentage point increase in academic achievement. This

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finding lends itself to questioning: what is the most effective way of implementing
games in the classroom?
Aim
My study proposal aims to make comparisons between a year 11 non-pre-tertiary
mathematics classes. One of these classes will implement games by the way of Kahoot
quizzes, whereas the other will use team-based written quizzes. The study will use both
qualitative and quantitative data to answer the key inquiry question: Does the regular use
of Kahoot quizzes impact a classrooms social dynamics and academic performance
compared to the regular use of written, team-oriented quizzes?
Literature Review
As my focus of this study has shifted slightly to centre on Kahoot rather than
apps in general, I have in fact been able to widen the scope for this literature review. The
areas I have researched are:

Games in the classroom

Educational use of interactive tablets and other smart devices

Literature on Kahoot

Games in the classroom

Marzano (2010) synthesised 60 studies investigating the use of games as
educational tools and found that there was an average 20 percentile point gain in student
achievement within classrooms that did use games. There is the condition that these
games are used in a considered manner and Marzano (2010, p.71-72) included these
recommendations:

Use inconsequential competition

Target essential academic content

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Debrief the game

Have students revise their notes

Aspects of these recommendations are echoed by Wiliam (2014) where he

recommends using alternate questioning methods, making use of aspects of competitive
game to engage students in lesson content. Wiliam (2014, p.18) proposes the use of all
student response systems such as multiple choice answering devices which provide the
teacher with the opportunity to gain formative assessment. With instant responses and
marked answers, teachers can identify and correct misconceptions in real time.
Using a whole class response system can also avoid the negative aspects to
traditional question-response teaching in that it requires participation from every student
rather the continual answering of a select few. Siegle (2015) also highlights the positive
impact that games, particularly computer games, can have socially and emotionally in
the classroom due to their ability to require engagement and participation. This includes
the ability for differentiation where all students may be included.
Educational use of tablets and other smart devices
There is no consensus yet as to how, if and when apps should be used within the
classroom (Chang, Evans, Kim, Norton & Samur, 2015). The study by Chang et al.
(2015) tested students before and after learning a new fractions concept either by paper
and pencil methods or by using a math app. The results showed significant difference in
the improvements gained by the struggling students who used the math app compared to
the struggling students who learned with paper and pencil. This suggests that apps can
be used to present fractions in a less intimidating way and may benefit students who
would be turned away from learning maths with paper and pencil methods. These are
similar to results found by Zhang, Trussell, Gallegos and Asam (2015).

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Zhang et al. (2015) found that apps were useful in improving students academic
performance and also helping bridge the gap between students they deemed struggling
with those they determined typical. Zhang et al. (2015) found that the apps could have
been improved if they included gaming aspects which aligns with what I discussed in the
previous section on games in the classroom. Games can provide extra and unique
challenges and challenging apps have been found to give students better learning
performances and satisfaction compared to apps which are on an easier level (Hung, Sun
& Yu, 2015).
Literature on Kahoot
Kahoot was released in Norway 2013 and has since been widely incorporated
into classrooms across the world (Kahoot, n.d.). There is still however little research into
the effectiveness of Kahoot. Whilst Siegle (2015, p.194) and Johns (2015, p.90)
recommend Kahoot, neither provide any quantitative nor qualitative data on Kahoot.
One exception to this is the study conducted by Wang (2015).
Wang (2015) provides a study into the wear out effect of Kahoot. In this
research, students took part in a Kahoot quiz in every lecture they attended for five
months and Wang (2015) took qualitative data on how students' perception changed in
relation to user-friendliness, engagement, motivation, classroom dynamics,
concentration, and perceived learning. Where engagement and motivation suffered
slightly, classroom dynamics was significantly affected over prolonged use. In my
proposal the students would only be taking a Kahoot quiz once a week over a shorter
period of time yet classroom dynamics is one of the parameters being tested in this
research.

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Research Design
Method
This study will require two year 11 non-pre-tertiary mathematics classes. These
classes will not have done regular quizzes in previous terms so that the grades which
they have accumulated so far can be used as benchmarks. Ideally this study would take
place in term three to have an accurate indication of each students regular achievement.
The two classes would then be allocated to be:

Class A Testing Kahoot

Class B Testing team based written quizzes

Once a week, the classes would complete a revision based quiz in the allocated
format. The teacher would use their professional judgement to fill in Table 1. This table
has four criteria where the teacher can mark on a spectrum line the:

Portion of students on task

Perceived level of enjoyment or fun

Level of respect demonstrated by the students

Usefulness of the formative assessment gained from the quizzes

There is also a section for additional comments.

This data, along with the students formal results in assignments, investigations
and tests, will be used as indicators to see whether or not the way in which games are
implemented in the classroom has an impact on social dynamics and academic results.
The Quizzes. To ensure that the content delivered within these quizzes is
identical (apart from different classes asking different questions or having different
misconceptions), the questions to the Kahoot quizzes must match those in the written,
team-oriented quizzes. These questions should be written by the teacher responsible for

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the class as they will know what stage of the unit the students should be at during a
given week. Since Kahoot quizzes are relatively quick to create, the quiz writing process
should not add much planning time to what would normally be expected. Once the
Kahoot questions are written, so are the team-oriented quiz questions and the teacher
should administer the team-oriented quiz as per the recommendation by Marzano (2010)
previously mentioned in this proposal.
The Analysis. The analysis of the students grades for formal assignments and
tests are relatively self-explanatory. If either class experiences significant changes to the
grades then we can infer that the quizzes have an effect on students results.
The analysis of the qualitative observations are more subjective by nature and
more interpretation will be required. We would be looking for trends, for example what
Wang (2015) coined the wear out effect of Kahoot. Will the students remain engaged
with Kahoot? Will classroom dynamics change when Kahoot is a regular feature of the
weekly routine? To determine the validity of these trends, the teacher administering the
quizzes will need to remain consistent with their judgements and add comments
describing anything which may have been unusual with the session or affected the
delivery of the quiz.

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The following table is designed to help the teacher quickly make a judgement
and keep track of the effectiveness of the game/quiz format in the classroom. The
additional comments space should be used if the teacher has any other information to
report.

Circle one: Kahoot or Team quiz

Date:

Students on task:
None

Most

All

Level of enjoyment or fun:

Bored

Hooked

Party Time

Level of respect (towards teacher and peers):

Insulting

Competitive

Collegial

Useful

Directive

Formative assessment gained:

Pointless

Additional Comments: (e.g. what were the positive learning opportunities such as
discussions, correcting misconceptions, etc.?)

Table 1. Teacher uses this table to record judgements on effectiveness of Kahoot quizzes
and team oriented paper and pencil quizzes

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Methodology
Epistemology and ontology are the driving factors behind research design.
Allison and Pomeroy (2000, p.94) and Lather (2006, p.38) provide terms for people
depending on their views of research. The types of researchers at opposite ends of the
spectrum are:

Positivist or objectivist

Interpretivist or subjectivist

When designing the research method for this proposal I wanted to avoid placing
myself in either camp as I believe that within a classroom it is useful to consider
multiple lenses and multiple ways of producing knowledge (Standish, 2014). Of course
this means that the results from my research would then be more open to interpretation
than purely objective data, but then this is why I propose collecting both quantitative and
qualitative data.
Studies which combine quantitative and qualitative methods are what Efron and
Ravid (2013, p.45) logically name mixed-methods research. In this integrated research,
the quantitative and qualitative data are both collected to answer the same inquiry
question as outlined earlier in the aim. The researcher (teacher) has the role of collecting
data that can be used statistically and they will also be required to make judgements on
effectiveness of the two forms of quizzes with the aid of Table 1.
Selection of participants
I have chosen to propose a study to take place in non-pre-tertiary senior
secondary classrooms because:

This is where the wondering (Dana & Yendol-Hoppey, 2014) first

developed;

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There is more flexibility in the non-pre-tertiary curriculum compared to

the pre-tertiary counterparts;

These classrooms are traditionally taken by students who do not have a

natural affinity towards mathematics.

Conducting research where the wondering developed. Aside from the

research naturally fitting the context from where the initial question was raised, there are
many other reasons why this research proposal is suited for year 11 non-pre-tertiary
classrooms. To begin, the students by this age are well equipped with the skills required
to access Kahoot and with BYOD in place at most senior secondary schools, there will
not be much hassle in ensuring that all students are fitted with the technology required.
This will be the case across all subject areas and therefore there would be ample
opportunity to conduct shared inquiry with another willing teacher. For example, during
my LAT, I was able to take an English class that was the subject areas equivalent level
to the maths classes I was teaching. During that class, I was able to find a Kahoot quiz
based on the film they were studying. After 45 minutes and about half way through the
lesson I started the quiz. The boy that won the quiz had been struggling with the written
tasks during the lesson, however he was able to demonstrate that he had considerable
knowledge on the film through Kahoot. This reflects some of what was discussed earlier
about differentiation and highlights the need for differentiation at that level.
There is more flexibility in the non-pre-tertiary curriculum than its pretertiary counterparts. In a senior secondary college time is precious for those preparing
for university and practicing for their end of year exams. Adding research requirements
to the stress of pre-tertiary study may be too much pressure to already packed
curriculums. With non-pre-tertiary subjects there is more room to move here.

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These classrooms are traditionally taken by students who do not have a

natural affinity towards mathematics. There may be exceptions to this statement
however, generally speaking, these subjects are chosen by students that for whatever
reason have struggled with mathematics in the past. For this reason these students are
ideal candidates to test innovative techniques in mathematics pedagogy. If apps and
games such as Kahoot demonstrate an ability to show mathematics in a new light then
some students who have repetitively turned away from the area may return with renewed
interest. Studying these students may also provide insight into identifying students who
disengage with mathematics earlier in their schooling life.
Ethics
Dana and Yendol-Hoppey (2014, p.148) synthesise ethical standards and
highlight characteristics of good and ethical teaching. These characteristics include:

Better understanding students progress

Help students master goals and objectives

Ensure successful learning opportunities for all

Adjusting teaching to best allow for students acquisition of knowledge

and understanding

As well as these criteria for good and ethical teaching, the qualitative methods
conducted in this study must meet the standards set by chapter 3.1 in the National
Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (National Health and Medical
Research Council, 2015). As defined in this section, the teacher will be engaged in
participant observation and will need to be diligent to ensure they are not meeting the
guidelines such as 3.1.1 where the teacher must be mindful as to how their relationship
with the students may be affecting the results.

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Conclusion
There is little research into Kahoot in the classroom despite it being a popular
classroom app since 2013. This research proposal outlines a method to compare using
Kahoot quizzes to team-oriented written quizzes. I have chosen to gather both
quantitative and qualitative data to cover both ends of the epistemological and
ontological spectrum in an attempt to get a more overall picture of the effects of the
quizzing formats.
The basis of this study has sprouted from practice and adheres to good and
ethical teaching methods.
References
Allison, P., & Pomeroy, E. (2000). How shall we know? epistemological concerns in
research in experiential education. The Journal of Experiential Education, 23(2),
91-98.
Australian Communications and Media Authority. (2014). Tablets take off: Take-up and
use of tablet computers in Australia. Retrieved from
http://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/engage-blogs/engage-blogs/Researchsnapshots/Tablets-take-off-take-up-and-use-of-tablet-computers-in-Australia
Chang, M., Evans, M. A., Kim, S., Norton, A., & Samur, Y. (2015). Differential effects
of learning games on mathematics proficiency. Educational Media
International, 52(1), 47-57.
Dana, N.F., & Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2014) The reflective educators guide to classroom
research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Efron, S.E., & Ravid, R. (2013) Action research in education: A practical guide. New
York: Guilford Press.

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Hovious, A.S., & Van Eck, R.N. (2015). Digital games for 21st-century learning:
Teacher Librarians beliefs and practices. Teacher Librarian, 42(5), 34-38.
Hung, C., Sun, J. C., & Yu, P. (2015). The benefits of a challenge: Student motivation
and flow experience in tablet-PC-game-based learning. Interactive Learning
Environments, 23(2), 172-190.
Johns, K. (2015). Engaging and assessing students with technology: A review of
Kahoot!. The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 81(4), 89-91.
Kahoot (n.d.). Kahoot is searching for talent to impact education globally [Web log
article]. Retrieved from http://blog.getkahoot.com/post/91947351857/kahoot-issearching-for-talent-to-impact
Lather, P. (2006). Paradigm proliferation as a good thing to think with: teaching research
in education as a wild profusion. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in
Education, 19(1), 35-57.
Marzano, R.J. (2010). Using games to enhance student achievement. Meeting Students
Where They Are, 67(5), 71-72.
National Health and Medical Research Council. (2015). National Statement on Ethical
Conduct in Human Research 2007. Canberra, ACT: National Health and Medical
Research Council.
Standish, P. (2014). What is the philosophy of education?. In R. Bailey (Ed.), The
philosophy of education: An introduction (pp. 4-20). London: Bloomsbury
Academic.
Wang, A. I. (2015). The wear out effect of a game-based student response
system. Computers & Education, 82, 217-227.

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Wiliam, D. (2014). The right questions, the right way. Using Assessments Thoughtfully,
71(6), 16-19.. Siegle, D. (2015). Technology: Learning can be fun and games.
Gifted child today, 38(3), 192-197.
Zhang, M., Trussell, R. P., Gallegos, B., & Asam, R. R. (2015). Using math apps for
improving student learning: An exploratory study in an inclusive fourth grade
classroom. TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve
Learning, 59(2), 32-39.

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