Kialo Edu is a free, online discussion platform for educators across many subjects and students of all ages.
Kialo improves on traditional classroom discussions by visually mapping all the different parts of an argument, offering a simple, intuitive way of organizing sophisticated reasoning. Kialo’s visual layout and simultaneous contributions enable deeper understanding and encourage wider, more inclusive participation.
Discussions develop from a central thesis, which is supported or weakened by pro and con claims directly below it. Each claim can have its own set of pros and cons, forming a structured diagram of the discussion.
Kialo can be used with whole classes or small groups. Individual students can also use it as an assessment or as a tool to plan argumentative essays. We provide an array of tools for educators, such as no-login “Instant Access” discussions, a built-in Grading and Feedback feature, and more than 500 open educational resources (OER) on a range of curricular and non-curricular discussion topics.
Kialo Edu strives to foster reasoned, inclusive discussions that students are genuinely interested in having. By helping students to visualize and reflect on each step of an argument, we aim to deepen their critical thinking skills. And by focusing on reason, we aim to help students practice civil disagreement. In this way, we ultimately hope to make the world a more thoughtful place. That is why Kialo Edu is free and always will be.
