The Next Tech Thing: Quizlet Live: Collaborative Team Quizzes Loved by Teachers & Students

Quizlet has been a tool used in our classrooms for a number of years that helps students learn and practice vocabulary and content in a fun way. Quizlet.com is loaded with decks of flashcards students can use to review vocabulary and concepts. Teachers and students also have the option to create their own decks. Decks can be linked and embedded into Schoology, our Learning Management System. Recently, Quizlet Live launched and it takes the basic studying tool to a whole new level. The developers have made Quizlet into a group collaborative game that is very interactive and engaging.

Students Collaborating in Quizlet Live

Quizlet Live randomly assigns students to teams and when the teacher starts the round, students have to find their teammates. The students each see the question, but only one possible answer choice is displayed on each team member's screen. Students have to work together to share and discuss what is on each person’s screen and select the correct answer as a group. Each team is also competing with one another to finish the question sets correctly. A couple of examples from our high school: in Contemporary US History, students use Quizlet live as a pretest for vocabulary terms in a Vietnam War unit. In an AP Chemistry class, students review Intermolecular Forces concepts.

Quizlet Live Team Competition

One of the best things about Quizlet Live is the collaboration component. Tools like Socrative, Kahoot, and other formative assessment tools are good for individuals, but Quizlet Live really requires interaction, conversation, and getting students to work together. I also like the randomness of the generated team rosters; students are continually required to mix up their groups and not only work with their friends. As you watch the video from Patricia Price's high school chemistry class, you will see her students moving around to work in teams and use Quizlet Live and you will hear them working together and discussing the meaning of the terms. One of our special education teachers appreciates the fact that Quizlet Live encourages social interactions and is a non-threatening way for students on the autism spectrum to start conversations with classmates. Overall, our teachers like the fact that Quizlet Live is easy to use, requires little setup time and that it also gets kids up and moving around the room.

Quizlet was developed in 2005 by a high school sophomore, Andrew Sutherland, who was studying for a French vocabulary test. He knew how to code and developed the program which he then shared with his friends. Sutherland eventually left MIT to develop and start the Quizlet company (learn more). Quizlet is now used by over 20 millions students per month!