Investigation of the effects of an online instant response system on students in a middle school of a rural area

This study investigated the effects of implementing an online instant response system “Kahoot!” in an Earth Science class in a rural area of Taiwan. The study adopted the mixed-methods approach, based primarily on a quasi-experimental approach, to investigate the effects. The participants were randomly grouped into two classes, with Kahoot! as the intervention. The seventh-grade junior high school students were instructed by the same teacher. The research questions were whether the mobile technology impacted students’ learning motivation and achievement and how the learning processes proceeded. Data were collected through surveys, student assignments, exams, learning journals, and interviews. The results indicated that the implementation of “Kahoot!” can enhance these rural-area students’ learning motivation, gain the rural-area students’ attention, and create incentives for the students to preview and review learning materials promoting learning efficiency. Moreover, the integration enhanced learning achievement. On the other hand, the teachable moments Kahoot! created may not be sustainable. It is hoped that the research findings can provide teachers with implications and guidelines to successfully integrate mobile technologies to enhance learning in their classrooms.