Prospective Teachers' Views on Gamified Online Assessment Tools

Gamification, which refers to the integration of game mechanics, dynamics and components into non-game contexts, has attracted significant attention in education in recent years. When the literature is examined, it is possible to find many applications that can gamify content. This study aims to explore students' perspectives on gamification in education with a special focus on the widely known Kahoot application. Within the scope of this research, it aims to explore students' views on the application of Kahoot-based gamification techniques in formal and distance education courses. The study was conducted with a mixed research method in which both quantitative and qualitative methods were used together. Quantitative data were analyzed using statistical measures such as arithmetic mean, standard deviation and independent sample t-test. Qualitative data were collected and analyzed through interviews. In the fall semester of 2021-2022, 278 pre-service teachers enrolled in the education programs of a state university in Turkey participated in the study. While 162 students participated in the study with distance education method, 116 students participated with formal education method. A 19-item opinion questionnaire on gamification using Kahoot and a form consisting of open-ended questions were used to collect data. The participants regularly participated in Kahoot gamification activities at the end of classes for 8 weeks. According to the results, the participants were generally satisfied with the gamification applications with Kahoot. They found these applications both fun and instructive. Students generally agreed that Kahoot is a useful application. However, it was concluded that some participants experienced internet connection problems, internet quota problems, insufficient response time and fear of being left behind in the ranking. According to these results, it is recommended to use Kahoot application and gamification activities in classrooms. In order to reduce the problem of lack of interaction in distance education environments, it is recommended to include Kahoot-like applications in distance education.