Jumble vs. Quiz - Evaluation of Two Different Types of Games in Kahoot!

Abstract

This article presents the results from a study evaluating two types of games in the game-based learning platform Kahoot! Quiz and Jumble. When playing the Quiz game, the goal for the students is to choose one out of four answers as quickly as possible, and the score is awarded for a correct answer and how fast the answer is given. When playing the Jumble game, the goal is to arrange four answers in a correct sequence, and the score is awarded for a correct sequence and the amount of time used to answer. The quasi-experiment was carried out in a software architecture course at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology with 59 participants. The experiment took place at the end of five 45-minute lectures on Software Quality attributes, where the two games were used to summarize the topic. Both the Quiz and the Jumble games were created in the same fashion where the goal was to map given statements to named software quality attributes. First, the students played through half of the summary questions using the Quiz game, and then they played through the remaining half using the Jumble game. The students were observed during both games and answered a survey after they had played both games (53 complete responses). The results presented are based on observations and a survey that includes both qualitative and quantitative data. The focus of the survey was on which of the two games the students perceived as most entertaining, most engaging, most motivating, required most concentration, and from which one they learned the most. They were also asked to give comments related to the experience. The results of the study show that both games were perceived to be equally fun, motivating, and provide the same perceived learning effect. However, the Jumble game was perceived to be more engaging and demanded higher concentration from the students. Several suggestions were also provided on how to improve the Jumble game.