Introducing Gimlet: a quiz website for schools
When we think back to our high school days, we remember reading in class, goofing off, and whiteboards - among other things! We’re always impressed to hear about high schoolers that are creating apps and coding projects. Big Picture Learning (BPL), a longtime Edlio client, is a network of charter schools throughout the United States. Recently, we heard about an app that was developed by a student at a BPL school, and it’s definitely something we wish we had when we were in school!
All about Gimlet
Gimlet is a live quiz website for schools that’s fun and beneficial for both students and teachers. Teachers start a quiz - called a Gimlet - and students answer questions from their smartphones, laptops, desktops or tablets at their own pace. For each question they get right, they’ll earn in-game cash that they can use for upgrades, like a streak bonus that increases the money you earn when answering multiple questions in a row correctly. Gamifying class quizzes goes a long way towards increasing student enthusiasm and performance.
Gimlet’s not just for student learning, either. After every Gimlet, teachers will receive a report with must-have data about their classroom, including how many questions their students answered correctly, and which questions were answered correctly and incorrectly most often. This data is invaluable to teachers, and makes it easier for them to see what areas students need more help learning.
Encourage students to design their own websites for schools
If you’re a teacher, you may be wondering how to encourage your students to create apps and websites for schools, as well as how to support young entrepreneurs. Gimlet founder Josh Feinsilber recommends giving more control to students and letting them develop their own ideas instead of giving strict guidelines. He also cited his school’s support of Gimlet as a factor in its success - he did a beta test of Gimlet with his school’s teachers and found it was very well received. Feinsilber also received guidance from his fellow students, who reported that their first time using Gimlet was confusing, but that they enjoyed using the app after the second use. Being able to seek guidance and help from teachers as well as students gave Gimlet the push it needed to succeed.
We recommend fostering a culture of innovation, creativity, and teamwork among students and teachers in order to increase the number of student entrepreneurs and projects at your school. Easier said than done, we know - but it worked for Gimlet!