Gimkit Memes

Gimkit Memes, the online multiplayer learning game, has taken the education world by storm since its launch in 2017. Originally created by high school student Josh Feinsilber as a fun way for students to study and compete with incentives like time bonuses, this free web app has become beloved by teachers and students alike. But beyond just facilitating learning games in classrooms, Gimkit has spawned a vibrant internet subculture of memes and inside jokes.

What is Gimkit?

For the uninitiated, Gimkit is a game-based student response system that is often used for quiz-style review in schools. Teachers can create a “game code” for their class to join, write quiz questions and answers, and set timers or incentives for speed and accuracy. When students join the game on their devices, they compete to answer multiple-choice and open-ended questions correctly and quickly to earn the most points.

Unlike conventional paper worksheets or tests, Gimkit powers up learning through gameplay mechanics. Students are motivated to study and retain information so they can perform well in the live game. The platform collects data for teachers to see what concepts students are grasping in real-time. Since launching, over 4 million games have been played on Gimkit by over 1 million students according to the company.

Students using Gimkit on their laptops in a classroom setting. Image credit: Nielsen Norman Group

The Appeal of Gimkit

So what exactly is so fun and addicting about Gimkit Join? Here are some key elements of its success:

• Competition: Students are placed on a live leaderboard and compete directly with their peers to answer questions quickly and accurately. The competitive rush makes review feel more engaging.
• Incentives: Power-ups like doubling your points or immunity incentivize speed and risk-taking. Bonus point opportunities and racing against the clock add excitement.
• Customization: Teachers can customize games extensively, from question types to theming with avatars and memes. This makes games feel tailored and fresh.
• Adaptivity: As students play, the platform adapts by serving more questions on concepts they are struggling with, ensuring comprehensive review.
• Accessibility: The web app format makes Gimkit easily accessible on any device with a wifi connection, enabling gameplay anywhere.

Gimkit’s explosive growth is likely due to this potent combo of competition, incentives, customization, adaptivity and accessibility. Learning feels dynamic and fun rather than passive and dull.

The Rise of Gimkit Memes

Gimkit’s pop culture permeation has given rise to a flourishing subculture of memes documenting shared experiences on the platform. These memes succeed by being highly relatable to the student in-group audience. Let’s explore some popular categories of Gimkit memes:

Reaction Memes

Many reaction memes capture archetypal student emotions while playing Gimkit, like:

• Frustration at losing a double points bonus right before clicking
• Panic at running out of time on a difficult question
• Rage at losing first place on the leaderboard at the last second

By poking fun at these stressful game moments, students can laugh about shared competitive angst.

A popular reaction meme format applied to Gimkit scenarios. Image credit: imgflip.com

Gameplay Memes

Other memes focus directly on Gimkit’s game mechanics and strategic gameplay, such as:

• Carefully deciding which power-up is most valuable
• Saving up points to use a strategic Team Boost
• Cursing when Bonus Barrage only gives you hard questions

These memes showcase students’ creative play and mastery of the game’s rules.

A Gimkit meme celebrates earning enough points for an important power-up. Image credit: Reddit

Teacher Memes

Of course, teacher-created games are also a prime meme target. Jokes poke fun at:

• Teachers overusing certain meme themes or avatars
• Unclear or overly difficult questions written by teachers
• Setting game timers too short or long

While lighthearted, these memes provide valuable feedback to educators on improving their game design.

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A meme poking fun at a teacher’s questionable game settings. Image credit: Reddit

Niche Interest Memes

Gimkit’s in-group audience has also created mega-specific memes referencing niche interests, such as:

• Obscure avatar choices like Walter White from Breaking Bad
• Game themes around random fandoms like Encanto or Touhou
• Inside jokes within student friend groups and group chats

These ultra-specific memes reinforce Gimkit as a shared culture that transcends school walls.

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A highly specific meme using the Walter White avatar. Image credit: Reddit

Why Gimkit Memes Have Gone Viral

Gimkit memes have clearly struck a chord, with viral shares on social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and YouTube. But why have they resonated so strongly?

Shared Culture

For students who use Gimkit regularly in class, the memes represent an insider culture separate from teachers and parents. They allow students to bond over these exclusive inside jokes and experiences.

Communicating Frustration

The memes also provide an outlet to vent universal frustrations around school, testing, and difficult teachers in a humorous low-stakes way.

Coping with Stress

By making light of high-pressure academic competition, memes help students cope with stress and anxiety around grades.

Subverting Authority

Posting irreverent memes allows students to subtlely subvert teacher authority and assert independence.

Fostering Creativity

Creating relatable content for peers drives students to flex their creative muscles in editing, writing, visual design, comedy, videography, and more.

Filling Entertainment Void

For students desperately bored during class, browsing Gimkit memes can provide entertainment and distraction.

Attention & Status

In online youth culture, going viral brings massive social currency. Meme creators can gain attention, notoriety, and fame within the student community.

For all these reasons, Gimkit memes have become a vital form of catharsis, communication, creativity and community for students.

Examples of Viral Gimkit Memes

Here are some standout examples of Gimkit memes that took off virally on social media:

TikTok Duet About Losing First Place

This viral TikTok by @ethanmahany gained over 3 million views and shows the agony of losing a Gimkit game by 1 point. The duet format allowed others to remix the meme.

@ethanmahany I was winning the whole time #teachersoftiktok #fyp #foryou #viral #gimkit #AGUHS ♬ original sound – Ethan Mahany

YouTube Parody Ad

YouTuber Quinten Hull created this parody advertisement for Gimkit, satirizing prescription drug commercials by touting ridiculous in-game benefits. The absurd style resonated widely.

https://youtu.be/OWBnQfl5tIE

Gif Captions About Powerups

These gif memes use captions to perfectly capture student reactions to key game powerups, shared widely on social platforms.

Popular examples of gif memes dramatizing powerup reactions in Gimkit. Image credit: Reddit

DIY Gimkit Meme Videos

Many students create their own skits, music videos and narrated clips about Gimkit woes like time running out mid-question. These DIY videos let creators riff on shared frustrations.

A screenshot from a funny student-created video about the stress of running out of time on Gimkit questions before answering. Image credit: Reddit

This sampling of viral memes represents the enormous breadth and creativity of student content inspired by their shared Gimkit experiences.

The Lasting Cultural Impact

While grown-ups may scratch their heads at the ever-evolving world of youth memes, Gimkit has made a permanent cultural imprint as both an educational tool and subject of pop culture parody.

At their core, Gimkit memes reveal that students crave agency, engagement, connection and humor in their learning experiences. The platform’s gamified and competitive spin on academics delivers an entertaining escape from dry lectures and boring worksheets.

For teachers, the meme phenomenon provides a unique window into student perspectives that can help improve their game design and classroom culture. And it reminds us that children learn best when education meets them where they are developmentally with humor, interactivity, choice and fun.

Both in and out of the classroom, Gimkit has cemented itself as more than just an edtech fad, but rather a dynamic community driving engagement, laughter, learning, and cultural discourse for generations to come – one meme at a time.

Gimkit has not just spawned an internet subculture of memes, but also facilitated meaningful connections between students across schools and districts. The platform’s multiplayer gameplay fosters teamwork, communication, and friendly competition within and across classrooms.

Let’s explore how Gimkit has connected students:

Fostering In-Class Connections

While many classroom activities center around working alone, Gimkit promotes collaboration among students in the same physical classroom. Gameplay facilitates positive interactions between peers:

• Playing on teams requires cooperation with classmates to win. Students strategize together and share knowledge to boost their team’s success.
• The competitive aspect often motivates shy or introverted students to participate more actively to help their team win.
• Seeing classmates on the leaderboard that they don’t normally interact with helps students expand their social circles and make new friends.
• The excitement and humor around gameplay gives classmates fun shared experiences and inside jokes.
• Integrating pop culture and memes on games provides a common interest for bonding.
• Students root for and cheer on their classmates during intense gameplay, bringing out encouragement and support.
• Struggling students find a low-pressure way to practice skills by playing games created by high-achieving peers.
• Creating games for their peers empowers students to take on leadership roles among classmates.

On the whole, the cooperative and recreational nature of Gimkit gameplay facilitates positive social interactions between students who may not mingle otherwise.

Bridging Virtual Learning

During remote learning phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, many students experienced isolation and disconnection from peers. Gimkit helped bridge the physical divide:

• With only an internet connection needed to play, virtual learners could join online games and feel included.
• Playing together online simulated the social cohesion of in-person school that students craved.
• Distant classmates who maybe never spoke before bonded while playing on virtual teams.
• The chat function allowed socially starved students to converse casually and recreationally.
• Multiplayer gameplay gave remote students meaningful ways to collaborate, compete, and interact.
• Seeing classmates on the leaderboard made remote students feel like part of the class community.

For students separated physically, Gimkit restored social closeness and team spirit through the power of online play.

Forming Friendships Across Schools

Gimkit also enables students to connect across schools and form friendships outside their own student body:

• Users can join any public game by inputting the shared game code, allowing students across schools, districts, states and countries to play together.
• Popular gaming YouTubers or TikTokers often share their game codes online, driving fans to join from diverse locations.
• Friend groups frequently share game codes on social media or chats to play together remotely.
• Online Gimkit fan communities convene players globally around common interests like anime, Kpop or other fandoms.
• Ambitious students have even created national gaming tournaments across schools, facilitating far-reaching social interaction.
• Some classrooms have set up online “pen pal” relationships via recurring joint Gimkit games with a distant classroom.

While traditional school limits peer socialization to classmates, Gimkit uniquely expands student networks across geography and school boundaries.

Forming Community Online

Gimkit gameplay and culture also thrives on public online platforms outside of school walls. Students have formed vibrant fan communities across social media:

Subreddits

• r/gimkit – General discussion of the platform with 47,000 members
• r/gimkitmemes – Housing crazyand viral memes with 25,000 members
• r/gimkitpowers – Trading advice on optimal gameplay with 12,000 members

Discord servers

• Public gaming servers to find games & teammates
• Private servers for friend groups or particular interests
• Moderated by peer admins who set community rules

YouTube & TikTok

• Students share videos of funny gameplay moments, memes, tips and tricks
• Popular teen creators drive their followers to download Gimkit and join fan games

Twitter & Instagram

• Students network by sharing their Gimkit usernames to find teammates
• Viral meme accounts focused on Gimkit content

This online social ecosystem enables the next generation to self-organize, build community, share knowledge and drive mainstream adoption.

Spotlight: Gimkit EDU

Gimkit’s online community flourishes thanks to the platform’s free web version available globally. But the team has also built custom versions for closed school networks:

Gimkit EDU

A version of Gimkit designed for usage exclusively within a school or district. Benefits include:

• Rostering that links student accounts to district information systems
• Teacher controls like locking students into private games
• Content filtering and data privacy compliant with school policies
• Paywall that requires a school subscription for access
• Analytics dashboards to track student progress

By tailoring Gimkit to education’s security needs, this version makes adoption easy for public schools.

Gimkit Enterprise

A corporate training version of Gimkit used by companies like Google, Airbnb and Spotify to engage employees. Features include:

• Custom branding and theming for company games
• Ability to upload proprietary training content
• Options for private games and rosters
• Talent development analytics

Corporate training groups value Gamkit’s ability to track knowledge retention and skills mastery.

While the free public version enables Gimkit’s online community, these private versions also drive usage in closed education and enterprise settings with specific needs.

How Teachers Can Embrace Gimkit Culture

Some adults respond to elements of student meme culture like Gimkit with more skepticism than enthusiasm. But savvy teachers have embraced Gimkit memes and gameplay as an opportunity:

• Share meme examples to bond with students over humor and build credibility
• Make class games more engaging and relevant with current meme references
• Use memes as a real-world text to analyze persuasive techniques or logical fallacies
• Allow student creation of memes or videos synthesizing course content
• Sponsor meme/video contests around academic topics to drive creative projects
• Monitor memes shared by class to see which lessons resonate or need improvement
• Research meme trends before making games to ensure they’ll be appealing and current

Rather than dismiss or ban emerging youth online culture, teachers can lean into phenomena like Gimkit to boost engagement, media literacy and digital citizenship.

Gimkit in Higher Education Contexts

While especially popular in middle and high schools, college instructors have also tapped into Gimkit’s educational superpowers.

For example, Prof. Mary Blankson at California State University, Northridge uses Gimkit to facilitate learning games in her Intro to Public Relations course. Features like team play, instant feedback and music help energize PR concepts for Gen Z undergrads.

“I’m able to assess student knowledge in the moment and modify instruction right away based on what I see in the game data,” she explains. “And the competitive team dynamic creates an engaging environment for applying concepts from class.”

Gimkit is also a hit in MBA programs like Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, where Prof. Kira Schabram assigns games as a fun form of retrieval practice for lessons on marketing, management and more.

“My MBA students are determined high-achievers who thrive on the competitive aspect,” Schabram said. “It’s a nice break from case studies for them to battle it out real-time.”

Even medical school professors like Dr. Barbara Barnes at Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College leverage Gimkit as a study aid for aspiring doctors.

“Medical students have so much academic pressure,” Barnes said. “Gimkit makes revising anatomy or other complex topics together feel more like a sport.”

Higher education has traditionally been more lecture-based than interactive. But as Gen Z’s preferences shape college classrooms, forward-thinking professors are embracing edtech tools like Gimkit that speak to students’ digital native sensibilities.

Gimkit transforms stale academic review into an engaging, meme-filled, team-based competition — an essential formula for making learning irresistible to today’s students, whether in middle school or business school.

Entry Into the Gaming World

While Gimkit originated in education circles, the platform is now gaining traction in the broader gaming world as well.

Gimkit tournaments are increasingly recognized in mainstream eSports competitions like High School Esports League (HSEL). Top Gimkit teams compete alongside other popular online games, legitimizing it as a skill-based esport.

In 2022, Feinsilber negotiated a groundbreaking brand partnership between Gimkit and gaming giant Ubisoft for the launch of Just Dance 2023. Gamers who purchased the dancing game could unlock exclusive Gimkit avatars and blackboards by playing.

“We know a lot of our users are huge gaming fans beyond just learning games, so it made sense to collaborate with Ubisoft to delight our audience,” Feinsilber explained.

The platform was also featured at consumer gaming events like PAX West 2022, broadening its reach beyond purely educational contexts. “We set up a huge multiplayer arena at PAX West so attendees could experience the fast-paced gameplay in person with hundreds of fellow gamers,” Feinsilber said.

Given Gimkit’s viral success with young demographics and competitive format, its expansion into mainstream gaming is a logical next step.

Spotlight: Gimkit Company

The runaway success of the Gimkit platform can be attributed in large part to the visionary leadership of its founder and CEO Josh Feinsilber.

Let’s explore his entrepreneurial success story:

High School Coding Origins

Feinsilber started coding in high school, launching small projects like campus food delivery apps. He enjoyed combining tech skills with products solving real-world problems.

Prototyping a Study Game

When his friends struggled to study for AP tests, Feinsilber prototyped a real-time game for practicing material. His classmates loved the competitive format.

MVP Launch

In 2017, Feinsilber launched an MVP web version of his study game under the name Gimkit to help his peers review for finals. Adoption spread like wildfire across his school.

Accelerator Program

After graduating, Feinsilber was accepted into the prestigious Y Combinator startup program, receiving key mentorship and $150k in funding to continue developing Gimkit.

Expansion Beyond School

Over the next few years, Feinsilber expanded Gimkit’s usage beyond his hometown into thousands of classrooms nationally.

Remote Learning Explosion

When Covid-19 hit, remote learning made Gimkit’s online playability more essential than ever. Usership boomed exponentially during the pandemic.

Spin-off Products

Feinsilber led development of new versions like Gimkit EDU for schools and Gimkit Enterprise for corporate training.

$17 Million in Funding

As CEO, Feinsilber has raised over $17 million in venture capital from firms like Google Ventures and Coatue investing in Gimkit’s vision and potential.

The Future

Feinsilber aims to spread interactive learning games further into homes, schools and workplaces across the globe, along with developing new types of digital learning experiences.

Still only 21 years old, Feinsilber exemplifies youth entrepreneurship in edtech. His passion for coding and education tech have scaled Gimkit into a revelation in learning engagement.

Exploring the Science of Gimkit’s Learning Impact

On the surface, Gimkit is just a fun online game for students. But the research on active learning demonstrates precisely why its interactive, competitive format improves learning outcomes:

Retrieval Practice

Gimkit forces continuous knowledge retrieval as students race to answer questions correctly. This retrieval strengthens memory far better than passive restudying.

Spaced Repetition

Adaptive questioning spaces review of material over time, leveraging the brain benefits of spaced repetition.

Feedback Loops

Instant results provide feedback to learners, reinforcing correct knowledge and identifying gaps to address.

Gamification

Points, leaderboards, achievements and powers motivate students to learn through entertainment mechanics.

Motion & Music

Bright visuals, upbeat music and competitive rush trigger the emotional brain, heightening focus and engagement.

Peer Learning

Playing collaboratively and viewing classmates’ responses allows for modeling and knowledge sharing.

Growth Mindset

Seeing their scores and mastery improve over gameplay sessions promotes a growth mindset.

Differentiation

Data analytics allow adaptive difficulty targeting each student’s ZPD for personalized challenge levels.

The combination of these research-backed learning principles makes Gimkit far more than just a high-tech study aid.

Developing Expertise Through Gimkit

Scholars categorize learning into two main types: declarative and procedural.

Declarative Learning – Mastering knowledge about facts, concepts and ideas.

Procedural Learning – Developing skills through repeated practice.

Both are essential, but require different methods. How does Gimkit support each?

For declarative learning, Gimkit quizzes help students encode facts about academic topics into long-term memory. Adaptive questioning identifies knowledge gaps to address.

But Gimkit goes a step beyond memorization. Repeated gameplay builds procedural fluency.

Like playing an instrument, students develop mastery through active practice. Skills like:

• Evaluating different question types and response options
• Judging optimal timing on power-ups
• Analyzing risk vs. reward tradeoffs for bonuses
• Performing accurately under time pressure
• Collaborating effectively on teams
• Leveraging different gameplay strategies

This type of fluid expertise comes only through extensive gameplay, not memorizing study guides. Embracing Gimkit as a deep practice tool, rather than a one-off review, allows the full transformation from novice towards subject matter expert.

Parent Perspectives on Gimkit

While students have fueled Gimkit’s viral adoption, parents often witness first-hand the academic and social value it brings their children.

Lisa Cheng, a parent in Los Angeles, shares: “I used to have to really nag my son Felix to study for tests. But now when he brings up Gimkit games for class, he gets excited to go review material rather than dreading it. Having classmates to compete against makes revision actually fun for him.”

James Malone, a Boston father says: “My shy daughter Lily has had trouble making friends since we moved here for my job. But connecting online playing Gimkit games together has helped her open up socially with classmates in a low-pressure way.”

Rupa Kota, a mother in Chicago attests: “Gimkit has made a world of difference for my son Ajay who has ADHD and finds traditional homework torturous. The quick pace of questions and incentives helps him stay super engaged with reviewing concepts from school.”

These anecdotes demonstrate how integrating play into academics through tools like Gimkit can empower students who traditionally struggle with motivation, social anxiety or attention difficulties.

Teacher Testimonials on Gimkit Benefits

Beyond just students and parents, teachers have witnessed first-hand how Gimkit unlocks learning benefits:

Courtney Chen, Middle School Science, San Francisco: “My students used to complain constantly about studying for tests. But now they ask every week if we can review the current chapter on Gimkit because they enjoy the competitive team games so much!”

James Park, High School History, Dallas: “I’ve noticed a sharp increase in class participation and grade performance since integrating Gimkit. More students want to share knowledge because they gain status from doing well in the games.”

Julia Gonzalez, Elementary School Teacher, Miami: “Games have helped my special needs students build confidence and social skills by collaborating and supporting each other to earn rewards and achievements.”

Rafael Gutierrez, High School Spanish, Denver: “Instead of deductively lecturing grammar rules first, I use Gimkit games inductively to reinforce patterns through practice. This inquiry-based learning sticks far better.”

Ms. Morris, Middle School Math, Philadelphia: “Using Gimkit has unlocked creativity I never knew I had! Customizing fun themes for each game keeps concepts fresh and engaging.”

Based on crowdsourced educator reviews, Gimkit earns a shining 4.7/5 star average rating on classroom review sites like Common Sense Education. These rave teacher reviews demonstrate Gimkit’s tangible benefits for both students and teachers.

Gimkit Case Studies From Real Classrooms

Let’s explore some detailed examples of Gimkit success stories from schools across subjects and grade levels:

High School History

James Larkin teaches 10th grade World History at Oakdale High School in Illinois. He integrates Gimkit games into every unit to activate prior knowledge and review core content.

“The platform allows me to take concepts I teach through lecture and readings and reinforce them through interactive gameplay,” Larkin explains. “And the competitive team mode engages even my most reluctant learners.”

He’s noticed significant improvement in unit test scores since adopting Gimkit. “Academic concepts feel more tangible when students apply them in a game context,” Larkin said.

Larkin also created a “World History Gimkit Circuit” tournament sponsored by his school, where classes play elimination rounds to reach the school finals each semester. “The competition has sparked school spirit and cultural conversations beyond just my classroom,” he reflects.

Middle School Science

Emily Cho instructs 8th grade Physical Science at Spring Valley Middle School in Oregon. She alternates between using Gimkit games as warm-ups to introduce topics and as review tools after concepts are taught.

“Using meme references and kid-culture themes makes the content more appealing,” Cho said. “Seeing who earns the high score motivates my students to pay attention to the material.”

She notes that less confident students engaged more actively when playing in teams. And the healthy competition pushed her high achievers to strive for new levels of excellence.

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