Kialo is approved for academic use. 

What is Kialo?

Kialo Edu is a web-based platform for structured discussions, debates, and collaborative argument mapping. Learners organize claims, supporting evidence, and counterarguments in a visual format.

What is the purpose of Kialo?

Kialo allows educators and students to explore multi-faceted topics, evaluate evidence, map arguments visually, and foster critical thinking skills through organized, asynchronous or real-time written debates.

Educators and learners can use it to:

  • facilitate synchronous or asynchronous discussions and debates;
  • map claims, evidence, and counterarguments;
  • analyze cases, ethical questions, and competing perspectives; and
  • assess students’ reasoning, use of evidence, and contributions.

Why use Kialo?

The primary value of Kialo is its ability to support structured discussion and argument mapping, helping students make their thinking visible, examine multiple perspectives, and build ideas collaboratively.

Examples of effective teaching applications include:

  • structuring debates around disciplinary, professional, ethical, or societal questions;
  • mapping competing claims and evidence before students complete a written assignment;
  • supporting peer feedback on the strength of claims, reasoning, and evidence

Learning Technology Ecosystem (LTE) Principles

Kialo most directly address these LTE goals:

Active and social - Learning is a process of meaning-making, constructed through learning with others, and as a part of an intentional, deliberate system within a course and across experiences.

Designed for reflection and growth - Learning is refined and extended through prompted and supported opportunities to focus on understanding and next steps.

Best Practices

DO

DON'T

 Use Kialo to help students explore complex questions, issues, cases, or problems from multiple perspectives.

 Do not use Kialo as a replacement for all class discussion or relationship-building activities.

 Connect Kialo discussions to course learning outcomes, readings, case studies, or authentic disciplinary problems.

 Do not rely on Kialo as a high-stakes assessment tool without clear criteria and instructor oversight.

 Establish expectations for respectful, evidence-based participation.

 Do not choose topics that may create unnecessary risk or harm without establishing clear expectations and moderation.

 Use instructor moderation and feedback to deepen critical thinking and highlight strong reasoning.

 Do not reuse a USask password when creating a Kialo account.

 Clearly communicate in the syllabus how the tool will be used, including requirements for account creation. Students must also be provided with the option to opt out of creating an account, and this option must be explicitly stated in the syllabus.

 Do not enter personal/sensitive information.

 Remind students to delete their accounts at the end of the term.

 Do not leave discussions completely unmoderated; set expectations for civil language and source validation.

Copy any student submissions that will be used for assessment and retained for one year.

 

Support for Kialo

Technical Support

(Why isn't this working?)

Vendor Supported

Training Support

(How do I learn to use this tool?)

Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning Supported

Vendor Supported

Teaching Support

(How do I teach with this tool?)

Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning Supported
  • Email GMCTL for consultation on active learning, debate structures, and assessment design

Tool Evaluation

Technologies are evaluated based on their alignment with the Learning Technologies Ecosystem Principles.  Click to see explanations of each principle and a justification of the rating. You can also view a complete blank rubric to see more details or read about the assessment process.

Learning must be found easily at any time, and all learners and teachers have equitable access, regardless of culture, language, ability etc. 
More Information

Rating: Moderate Concerns

  • Accessibility standards:
    • Kialo Edu features screen-reader compatibility and keyboard navigation designed to meet web accessibility guidelines.

  • Cost of use for USask students:
    • Free.

  • Platform/device:
    • Web-based (works on desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile browsers).

  • Offline Access:
    • An active internet connection is required for Kialo access.
    • Discussions can be exported as text for offline reference, but the interactive platform cannot be used offline.

Learning is a process of meaning-making, constructed through learning with others, and as a part of an intentional, deliberate system within a course and across experiences.
More Information

Rating: Works Well

  • Collaboration:
    • Multiple students contribute to, comment on, and vote on arguments concurrently in real time.

  • Sharing:
    • Discussions can be shared publicly, restricted to specific class groups, or embedded via link.

Learning is refined and extended through prompted and supported opportunities to focus on understanding and next steps.
More Information

Rating: Works Well

  • Reflection and revision:
    • Visual mapping forces students to analyze pros, cons, and counterarguments, prompting deeper reflection and claim refinement.

Learning is most effective when systems are designed to help learners find, create, and/or repurpose significant content for the value of themselves and others.
More Information

Rating: Moderate Concerns

  • Creating:
    • Students construct logical argument trees and claims.

  • File format:
    • Discussions can be exported as text files.

Learners create and control spaces for learning, understanding and retaining ownership, and purposefully choosing how and when they share.
More Information

Rating: Moderate Concerns

  • Archiving, saving, and exporting data:
    • Complete discussions can be saved, printed, or exported for grading and portfolio inclusion.

  • Data privacy and ownership:
    • User contributions remain user property.

  • Bias:
    • Kialo Edu's structured argument-mapping approach encourages consideration of multiple perspectives and evidence-based reasoning. As with any discussion platform, instructors should provide guidance and moderation to help learners recognize bias, evaluate evidence critically, and engage respectfully with differing viewpoints.
  • Sign Up/Sign In:
    • Educators require an account, but students can join through Instant Access without an account.

  • Customization:
    • Educators can configure roles, participation windows, anonymous participation, small groups, tasks, voting visibility, grading scales, feedback visibility, suggestions, discussion structure, and access methods.

Learners need to work in a system that is fluid and requires a minimum number of steps in systems that are intuitive and integrated.
More Information

Rating: Works Well

  • Interface:
    • Clean, drag-and-drop pro/con interface with tree and sunburst views.

  • Additional Downloads:
    • None required; runs fully in web browsers.

  • Functionality:
    • High; built-in voting, task tracking, and inline feedback tools.
  • Environmental Impact:
    • Kialo Edu is a cloud-based service that requires internet-connected devices for participation. As with most online learning platforms, use of the service contributes to energy consumption associated with data storage, processing, and network infrastructure. The platform may reduce reliance on printed materials by supporting digital discussion, debate, and collaborative knowledge-building activities.

Learners exist in accessible networks, and connect to the experiences, concepts, people, and ideas that they need.
More Information

Rating: Works Well

  • Scale:
    • Handles small breakout groups up to large multi-section courses.

  • Communication Flexibility:
    • Supports rich text, links, and external references. 

  • Representation and inclusivity:
    • High peer-to-peer interaction through claims, counter-claims, and voting.

Learning and feedback are iterative, and assessment comes from multiple sources, including self, peers, teachers, and outside experts.
More Information

Rating: Works Well

  • Feedback:
    • Instructors and peers can comment on specific claims.

  • Sources for Feedback:
    • Kialo Edu supports feedback from multiple sources, including instructors and peers. Feedback can be provided through comments on claims, responses to arguments, ratings, moderation, and instructor guidance throughout the discussion.
  • Learning Data:
    • Kialo Edu provides information about learner participation and engagement within a discussion. Instructors can review student contributions, argument development, revisions, interactions with peers, and overall activity within a debate or discussion.