Frequently Asked Questions

Kialo Edu is a free, online discussion platform designed for students and educators. Kialo discussions map out all the different parts of an argument, offering a simplified, intuitive way of organizing sophisticated reasoning. Kialo’s visual layout and simultaneous contributions enable deeper understanding and encourage wider participation. Your class discussions will never be the same again!

Kialo Edu is designed for all kinds of teachers and learners. From primary school to university, private tutoring to professional development, Kialo helps you have deep, inclusive discussions.

Kialo discussions are suitable for ages eight and up. Teachers can create Kialo discussions on whatever topics they choose, so the only age-related limitation is the ability to input text on a digital device. 

As a visual, real-time platform, Kialo discussions encourage greater and more inclusive participation. Moreover, Kialo is based on the principles of argument mapping and debating, which have been shown to effectively train critical thinking skills.

Yes! Kialo Edu is completely free and always will be. There are no hidden purchases or premium features, and we do not profit from your data in any way or make it available to any third parties.

No, you don’t! You can access Kialo Edu from the same internet browser you’re using to read this.

Kialo Edu works with all major internet browsers — meaning all that participants need is a device with internet access. Computers, smartphones, tablets, or any combination thereof all work fine!

The fastest way to try out Kialo Edu with your class is to:

1. Sign up using an existing Google, Microsoft or Clever account, or by setting up a new Kialo Edu account.
2. Choose a ready-made starter discussion from our Topic Library.
3. Turn on Instant Access and share the link with students. This account-free option requires nothing more than a name!

And there you are! From signup to a lively student discussion in less than two minutes!

Yes, teachers (but not students!) need to have an account in order to use Kialo Edu. This is a GDPR requirement, as every discussion requires an owner who can export and delete it. 

You can sign up instantly using your Google, Microsoft, or Clever account, or any email address. You can also set up an account with only a username and password — no email required.

No, students do not need an account to use the platform — have them join a one-off discussion in seconds via an Instant Access link.

Creating accounts for your students allows them to keep track of discussions over time and to easily return to those discussions later. It is also easier to manage your students in discussions when they have their own accounts.

Accounts are easy to set up!

• If your institution uses Google Classroom, you can invite entire classes to Kialo Edu.
• You can direct students to create their own accounts using an account they already have, such as one on Google, Microsoft, or Clever.
• You can direct students to create their own accounts, with or without an email address.
• You can batch-create student accounts using the Managed Accounts feature.

If your institution uses Moodle, you can install the Kialo Discussion plugin — allowing everyone to use Kialo without creating any new login details!

Kialo Edu supports LTI 1.3 integration with Canvas, Blackboard, and Moodle. Kialo is also fully integrated into Moodle via the Kialo Moodle plugin. 

Consult our Help Center to find more information about LMS integration.

Kialo Edu is a privacy-first platform.

We are ISO 27001 certified and meet all the requirements for GDPR, CCPA, and many other international privacy regulations. We are signatories to the Student Privacy Pledge, and no user data is ever shared with any external party for any purpose.

Please consult our Data Security and Privacy Plan for more details.

The only way we use your data is to improve the functionality of our product.

We do not share, rent, sell, or trade your data. We are ad-free and your data is not used for behavioral ad targeting.

You can find detailed information in our Data Security and Privacy Plan.

Kialo.com is designed for public use, where anyone with an account can contribute to shared public discussions. Thus, for reasons of privacy, we do not recommend using it with students.

Kialo-edu.com is designed for use by teachers and students. All discussions on Kialo Edu are private, and there is a comprehensive suite of tools to assist educators. 

Our Help Center contains detailed information on creating discussions, managing students, delivering feedback — and everything else to do with Kialo Edu!

You can reach us via our contact page or by sending an email to feedback@kialo-edu.com. 

We are also on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. We love hearing from our users, so come say hi!