Building Bridges, Not Barriers: Creating Inclusive Gimkit Games by Avoiding Bias

In classrooms everywhere, we see students from so many different places. They have different stories. They have different backgrounds. It is really, really important that every single student feels like they belong and has a fair chance to learn and do well. Games like Gimkit are great for learning. Learn more about using Gimkit. But we need to make sure our questions do not accidentally make some students feel left out or treated unfairly.

Gimkit offers a fun way to check what students know. As teachers, we need to make sure our games are fair for everyone. This means thinking carefully about the questions we write. We want to create inclusive Gimkit games, avoiding bias. This blog post will give you some easy ideas on how to do just that.

Understanding Bias in Quiz Questions

Let’s talk more about what bias means when we write questions for quizzes.

What is Bias in Question Design?

Bias in question design is when some students have an unfair edge. This happens because of the way the question is written. It might be easier for some students to answer because of their life experiences. It might be harder for others because of their background. This is not fair. We want all students to have the same chance.

Why Avoiding Bias Matters

When questions show bias, it can really hurt students. It can make them feel like they are not smart enough. It can make them feel like they do not belong. This can make them not want to learn. It can even make them feel bad about themselves. We want to build all students up. We want to make sure everyone feels good about learning. We want to create equitable Gimkit games. This means we need to be very careful about the questions we ask. We want every student to have a real chance to show what they know.

Common Types of Bias to Watch Out For

There are many ways that bias can sneak into the questions we write. We need to be like detectives. We need to look for these hidden biases. Here are some common types of bias to watch out for when you are making your Gimkit games:

Cultural Bias:

This happens when our questions are based on things that are more common in some cultures than others. Some students might know the answer easily because of their culture. Other students might have no idea. This is cultural bias.

• Definition: Cultural bias in questions means the questions favor knowledge or experiences that are common in certain cultural groups. Students from other cultures might be at a disadvantage.
• Example: Asking a question about a famous dish from one specific culture without explaining what it is. Students from that culture will know it. Others will not.
• Tip for Avoiding: Try to use examples that are known by many different people. If you need to use a cultural example, give a little bit of information about it first. Choose examples that are more universal. Think about things most people around the world might know or can easily learn about. This helps in creating culturally sensitive Gimkit questions.

Gender Bias:

Gender bias in questions means that the questions favor one gender over another. This can happen in the words we use. It can happen in the stories we tell in the questions. It can even happen in what we assume about different jobs or roles in society.

• Definition: Gender bias in questions means the questions unfairly favor either boys or girls. This can be in the language used or the roles people are put in.
• Example: A question that talks about all scientists as “he”. This makes it seem like only men can be scientists.
• Tip for Avoiding: Use words that do not point to just one gender. Use “they” instead of “he” or “she” when you can. Make sure your examples show both men and women in all kinds of jobs and roles. Show that anyone can be anything. This helps in avoiding gender bias in quiz questions.

Socioeconomic Bias:

This kind of bias happens when we make assumptions about what students have or what they have done based on how much money their family has. This is socioeconomic bias.

• Definition: Socioeconomic bias in questions means the questions assume that all students have the same access to money, things, or experiences. This is not true for all students.
• Example: Asking a question about going on a fancy vacation. Some students might have done this. Many others will not have had that chance.
• Tip for Avoiding: Ask questions about things that most students would know. Do not ask about things that cost a lot of money or that only some families can do. Try creating questions that don’t assume socioeconomic status. Use general knowledge questions. Provide the information students need within the question itself.

Disability Bias:

Disability bias in questions means that the questions are harder for students with disabilities to answer. This could be because of how the question is set up. It could be because of the words that are used. Let’s learn more about accessibility in EdTech.

• Definition: Disability bias in questions means that the questions create barriers for students who have disabilities. This can be in how the question looks, the words used, or the content itself.
• Example: A question that is just a long block of text with no pictures for a student who has trouble reading a lot of words.
• Tip for Avoiding: Think about how to make Gimkit games accessible for all learners. Use clear and simple language. If you use pictures, make sure you add a description for students who cannot see them. Think about students who might need more time to answer. Consider if the format of the question works for all students. This is part of accessibility in education.

Linguistic Bias:

Linguistic bias is when we use language in our questions that is too hard for some students to understand. This can be a problem for students who are still learning English. It can also be a problem for students who just have a smaller vocabulary. You can also find general tips for writing clear quiz questions.

• Definition: Linguistic bias in questions means that the questions use language that is too complex or assumes a high level of English. This can make it hard for students who are learning English or who have different language backgrounds.
• Example: Asking a question with lots of big, uncommon words or using complicated sentence structures.
• Tip for Avoiding: Use clear, simple, and direct language. Keep your sentences short. Avoid using words that are not commonly known. If you have to use a harder word, try to explain what it means. This helps in making unbiased questions in Gimkit.

Stereotyping:

Stereotyping in questions means that we say things that are not fair or are not true about certain groups of people. This can be based on things like their race, where they come from, their religion, or anything else that makes them part of a group.

• Definition: Stereotyping in questions means that the questions promote harmful or untrue ideas about certain groups of people. These ideas are often oversimplified and negative.
• Example: A question that suggests all people from a certain country are good at a particular sport.
• Tip for Avoiding: Be very careful about the language you use in your questions. Make sure you are not saying anything that could be harmful or untrue about any group. Focus on what individuals do and achieve, not on stereotypes about groups. This is important for anti-bias education.

Practical Tips for Designing Inclusive Gimkit Questions

Here are some easy-to-follow tips that will help you make your Gimkit questions more inclusive for everyone in your classroom:

• Use a Mix of Names and Examples: When you write your questions and answers, try to use names of people from different cultures and backgrounds. Also, think about the examples you use. Do they show different kinds of people in different situations? This helps promote diversity and inclusion in the classroom.
• Read Your Questions Out Loud: This is a simple trick, but it really works. When you read your questions aloud, you can often hear if something sounds off or if it might be hard for some students to understand. It can also help you catch any language that might sound biased without you meaning it to.
• Think About Different Views: Try to put yourself in the shoes of your students. Think about students who might have different backgrounds or experiences from you. Would the question make sense to them? Could it be confusing for any reason? This helps in culturally responsive teaching.
• Ask Others for Their Thoughts: It is always a good idea to get another pair of eyes on your questions. Ask a fellow teacher or even some of your students to look at your Gimkit game. They might notice something that you missed. They might have a different perspective that can help you make your questions even better, highlighting the value of teacher collaboration.
• Focus on What You Really Want to Know: Make sure your questions are really about what you have been teaching. They should not depend on students having specific cultural knowledge or life experiences that not everyone has. Stick to the core concepts and skills you want them to learn. Learn how to align Gimkit with your curriculum. This is part of fair assessment practices.
• Think About Different Ways to Ask: While Gimkit is mostly multiple choice, think about how you word your questions. Can you make the choices clear and distinct? Are there any assumptions hidden in the way you have phrased the question? Sometimes, just changing a few words can make a big difference in how inclusive the question is.

The Benefits of Inclusive Gimkit Games

When you take the time to make sure your Gimkit games are inclusive and free from bias, it has a big impact in your classroom:

• It Makes Your Classroom a Better Place: When all students feel included and respected, it creates a more positive and supportive learning environment for everyone. Students will feel safer and more comfortable taking risks and participating. This supports equity in education.
• It Gets All Students Excited to Learn: When games are fair, all students feel like they have a chance to succeed. This can make them more motivated to participate and learn the material. It taps into the power of gamification in history education (and all subjects!). You can learn more about boosting student engagement with Gimkit.
• It Helps Students Understand and Respect Differences: When your questions and examples show a wide range of people and experiences, it helps students learn about and appreciate the diversity in the world around them. This promotes diversity and inclusion in the classroom.
• It Gives You a Truer Picture of What Students Know: When your questions are unbiased, you are really testing what your students have learned in your lessons. You are not accidentally testing their background knowledge or their cultural experiences. This leads to more accurate fair assessment practices.

Conclusion

Creating inclusive Gimkit games, avoiding bias, is something that takes thought and effort. It means we need to be mindful of the words we use and the examples we choose. But it is so worth it. When we are careful and intentional about our question design, we build bridges with our students. We do not build barriers. We help every single student feel valued. We give every student a fair chance to learn and to show what they know. Let’s all keep learning and growing in this important area. Let’s work together to make our classrooms places where every student can thrive. This aligns with the principles of universal design for learning (UDL). You can find more resources on inclusive teaching.

What are some of your favorite strategies for making your Gimkit games inclusive? What tips do you have for other teachers who want to create unbiased questions in Gimkit? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below! Let’s all learn from each other and make our Gimkit games the best they can be for all our amazing students.