Gamify Your Classroom with ClassPoint

Published on 30 April 2025
by Chaonan Xu, English Language Centre, School of Languages, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

ClassPoint is a PowerPoint plugin that empowers teachers to convert their presentations into interactive and potent educational tools. It offers a diverse array of interactive activities, allowing teachers to conduct engaging quizzes and activities without the need to switch to a different application—everything can be managed seamlessly within PowerPoint itself.

The free version of ClassPoint is well-suited for classes with fewer than 25 students or for those who need only the essential features. It includes the capability to create five distinct types of questions: Multiple Choice, Word Cloud, Short Answer, Slide Drawing, and Image Upload.
In slideshow mode, ClassPoint provides a suite of annotation tools, such as a pen, highlighter, shapes, and text boxes, enabling teachers to make annotations with ease. Furthermore, it includes a built-in timer for monitoring time, a quick poll feature for immediate feedback or comprehension checks, and a name picker tool designed to foster active student engagement
(Image 1).

Image  1

Activity purpose

Set-ups

Step 1:

Download the ClassPoint installer onto your device here.

Step 2:

Install the software and sign up using your email address, Google or Microsoft account.

Step 3:

Sign in with your account and password (Image 2).

Step 4:

Open a PowerPoint slide and you can start creating your intended activities (Image 3).

Image 3

Procedure:

In this case, we will look at how to create a Word Cloud activity in ClassPoint:

Step 1: Create the Question

Type your question as text on your PowerPoint slide. This will guide your Word Cloud activity. The following is an example of a brainstorming question. However, teachers are free to create a variety of questions that align with their lesson objectives and specific needs.

Step 2: Access the Word Cloud Feature

Navigate to the ‘Inknoe ClassPoint’ tab on your PowerPoint ribbon. To activate the interactivity of your Word Cloud question, click on the Word Cloud icon. This action will generate a blue button on your slide, indicating the interactive element.

Step 3: Configure the Word Cloud Activity

Upon clicking the Word Cloud icon, a settings panel will appear on the right side of your screen. Here, you can specify the maximum number of submissions allowed for the activity. Additionally, customize the Play Options to suit your needs, such as setting an auto-start or an auto-end feature with a predefined time limit. With these settings, your slide is now transformed into an interactive and dynamic interface that enhances user engagement and streamlines the activity management process (Image 4).

Step 4: Launch the Interactive Quiz

To initiate the interactive quiz, start your PowerPoint in Slideshow mode. A class code will be displayed in the top right corner of the screen. This code is essential for students to join your activity session. You have the option to use a randomly generated class code for each session or create a saved class with a unique, persistent class code.

Step 5: Student Access and Participation

Students can join your activity on any device by visiting www.classpoint.app, entering the provided class code along with their name, or by scanning the QR code displayed on screen. Once they have joined, they will be able to view your slide and question on their devices, and participate in the interactive quiz question (Image 5).

Step 6: Collect and View Responses

Students will be prompted to submit their responses, and you will be able to see them in real-time on your screen.

Step 7: Review and Save Submissions

After the activity concludes, the blue ‘Word Cloud’ button will change to green, signaling the end of the session. Click the ‘View Responses’ button to review the submissions. You have the option to ‘Insert as slide’ at the top right to incorporate the Word Cloud submissions into your presentation or click ‘Share’ at the bottom right to distribute the input for students’ post-class review and revision (Image 6).

Caveats:

• System Requirements: The software is designed to operate on Windows-based devices.
• Initialization Delay: Loading the plug-in within PowerPoint might take some time to start up. If it fails to load properly, you may need to attempt the process again.
• Question Limit in Free Version: The free version allows for the creation of a maximum of 5 questions within one PowerPoint presentation. However, if you wish to include additional questions beyond this limit, you have the option to remove existing ones to make room for new ones.
• Class Size Consideration: For those with larger class sizes or who desire an unlimited range of interactive activities, a premium version with additional features is available for a nominal fee. While the free version is appropriate for smaller classrooms, if you are teaching a large class with potentially hundreds of students, it is advisable to upgrade to the premium version to meet your needs.

Alternatives:

Teachers can click on the ‘Quiz Ideas’ icon to access a collection of prefabricated questions and easy-to-use templates (Image 7).

Image 7

Additional information:

ClassPoint sets itself apart by providing an intuitive interface that streamlines the creation of interactive quizzes and activities. Its design allows teachers to engage students effectively, even with limited technical skills. By enabling teachers to work entirely within the familiar PowerPoint software, ClassPoint ensures a smooth and cohesive teaching experience. In contrast, standalone platforms such as Kahoot and the free version of Mentimeter, which do not integrate with PowerPoint, might necessitate that teachers toggle between various applications. Such frequent switching could potentially disrupt the flow of instruction and break the continuity of the learning process.

To discover how to craft interactive quizzes and captivate your students, please visit https://www.classpoint.io/get-started and explore the available demos.