Quizlet

Quizlet
Type of site
 Public
Registration Optional
Available in English, German, Spanish
Launched Template:Start date and age2007
Revenue Freemium (ads/subscriptions)
Alexa rank
 973 worldwide, 377 in the U.S.[1]

Quizlet is an online learning tool created by Andrew Sutherland. It was originally conceived in October 2005 and released to the public in January 2007. [2] As of November 2015, Quizlet has over 100 million user-generated flashcard sets and more than 40 million monthly visitors .[3] It now ranks among the top 50 websites in the U.S.[4] In 2016, Quizlet was recognized by SimilarWeb as the fastest growing US Education site in 2015. [5]

History

The creator of this website is Andrew Sutherland.

Quizlet began as an idea conceptualized by Sutherland to memorize 111 animal names for his French class.[6][7] After realizing the daunting task of mechanical memorization, Sutherland sat down to write code for a program to aid him in memorization.[8] These first lines of code were scrapped and then rewritten meticulously over the course of 420 days by Sutherland. In October 2005, Quizlet was released to the public.[9]

Until 2011, Quizlet shared staff and financial resources with the Collectors Weekly web site.[10] In 2015, Quizlet announced raising $12 million from Union Square Ventures, Costanoa Venture Capital, Altos Ventures and Owl Ventures to expand its digital study tools and grow internationally.[4]

In 2011, Quizlet added the ability to listen to content using text-to-speech.[11] In August 2012, Quizlet released an app for the iPhone and iPad and shortly afterward released an app for Android devices.[10]

Study Modes & Games

As a memorization tool, Quizlet lets registered users create "sets" of terms customized for their own needs.[12] These sets of terms can then be studied under several study modes.[13][14]

Flash Cards

This mode is similar to paper flash cards. In it, users are shown a "card" for each term. Users can click to flip over the card, or use their arrow keys, and see the definition for that term.[15]

Gravity

In this study mode, definitions scroll vertically down the screen in the shape of asteroids. The user must type the term that goes with the definition before it reaches the bottom of the screen. It is one of the 'Play' study modes.[16]

Learn

In this study mode, users are shown a term or definition and must type the term or definition that goes with what is shown. After entering their answer, users see if their answer was correct or not, and can choose to override the automatic grading and count their answer as right if needed.

Long Term Learning

In this study mode, users are given a recommended study set based on whether or not they answer study set questions correctly. Repetition of terms answered incorrectly increase in frequency and a dashboard shows learning progress over time. The mode uses spaced repetition concepts to focus on longer-term retention and subject mastery versus shorter-term memorization.[17]

Speller

In this mode, the term is read out loud and users must type in the term with the correct spelling.[15]

Scatter

In this study mode, users are presented with a grid with terms scattered around it. Users drag terms on top of their associated definitions to remove them from the grid, and try to clear the grid in the fastest time possible.[15]

API

Quizlet provides an application programming interface that allows others to access Quizlet data. Available functions include uploading and downloading flashcards, modifying users' flashcards, and finding definitions created by Quizlet users.[18]

References

  1. ↑ Site Information from Alexa Alexa Internet. Accessed Nov 23, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Quizlet". The Innovation Economy, presented by Intel, in partnership with the Aspen Institute, PBS Newshour. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  3. ↑ Quizlet Mission Page.
  4. 1 2 Kolodny, Lora (2015-11-23). "Quizlet Raises $12 Million to Take Its Popular Study Tools International". Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  5. ↑ "SimilarWeb Digital Visionary Awards: 2015". SimilarWeb. January 21, 2016. Retrieved 2016-02-18.
  6. ↑ Tynan, Dan. PC World. (March 9, 2008) "Meet the Whiz Kids: 10 Overachievers Under 21".
  7. ↑ The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet.
  8. ↑ "QUIZLET: Join millions and Build Your Own Flashcards, Game Yourself to Smart". SF New Tech. November 2010. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  9. ↑ MIT Spectrum. Summer 2009. "Quiz Yourself".
  10. 1 2 "Quizlet's Growth Puts It on the Top of the Edtech Stack". EdSurge. November 2012. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
  11. ↑ "Quizlet Now Offers "Speller" Mode in 18 Languages". Free Technology for Teachers. July 2011. Retrieved 2015-02-01.
  12. ↑ Wendy Boswell. Life Hacker. (January 28, 2007) "Practice your vocabulary with Quizlet".
  13. ↑ Barbara Feldman. The Boston Globe (November 26, 2010) .
  14. ↑ "What are the different ways I can study my flash cards?". Quizlet FAQ.
  15. 1 2 3 "Engagement for Memory: Try Quizlet". Jeanne Farrington. October 2014. Retrieved 2015-02-01.
  16. ↑ "Quizlet Raises $12M Series A". VentureTracker. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  17. ↑ "Announcing Quizlet’s first funding round and what’s next for us". quizlet.com. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  18. ↑ "Quizlet Flashcards API". Retrieved 2015-02-09.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, April 10, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.