In the digital era, where education has largely moved to online platforms and study methods, internet tools are heavily relied on to help students prepare for tests, practice vocabulary, and stay engaged in class. A decision made by one of the most popular applications, Quizlet, is frustrating educators and students throughout the nation.
Quizlet is an online study aid that is used in place of traditional or physical methods. They offer flashcards, example tests, matching games, and a popular “learn” mode, which lets one advance from multiple choice questions to write-in questions as they progress through their study set. In the past, Quizlet offered a plethora of these features for free for teachers and students alike to use in their schoolwork. However, many, like Maggie Trilk, freshman, are disheartened when they learn that some activities, such as the aforementioned “learn” mode and sample tests, are no longer unlimited without payment. Trilk mainly utilizes Quizlet in her English classes and is dispirited that she is now required to pay to use the other features. “I like using the flashcards to just get to know [vocabulary], and then the learn [mode], and then the quiz,” she said. “It’s kind of frustrating when you use up your certain amount of [free features] and then you have to not do it anymore.” Trilk plans to utilize other study methods, such as physical flashcards or additional applications, to help her in class when she can’t do so on Quizlet.
However, some have decided to pay for Quizlet Plus anyway. Melissa Pickering, Spanish teacher, and the rest of the foreign language department as a whole have chosen to pay for Quizlet Plus, and any students in the class can use the features for free on the vocabulary sets they create. The Spanish teachers decided to pay for the plan because they have students who prefer the Quizlet format, and it costs less for teachers to utilize it for classes than it does for students to do so individually. Pickering said, “I put vocabulary or verb lists in… I really like Quizlet because I can export the list I’ve already created and put that into Blooket.” Blooket is an application that provides games for the students to play as a class, while practicing vocabulary and answering questions at the same time. Pickering said, “I think a lot of [the students] like the flashcards and the test. The test is what is now unlimited for the students as long as they’ve joined the class that we’ve set up.” Pickering said that, although the change is annoying, she believes that paying for the premium version is worth it for the benefit of her students.
Quizlet Plus offers a variety of pricing options to cater to the needs of students and educators. It is currently valued at $7.99/month or $35.99/year for students, while the Spanish teachers pay the flat yearly rate for all their classes. “Currently, each department gets some money to use for school supplies or whatever they need… so we [pay for it] out of that fund,” said Pickering. While the Spanish department doesn’t feel a significant financial burden from the extra payments, Trilk doesn’t believe paying for the premium version would be worth it and finds it is easier to use alternative websites or physical flashcards to study. Ultimately, the decision to invest in Quizlet Plus rests on individual schools, departments, teachers, and students. It’s important to weigh the benefits and costs according to individual preferences, budgets, and educational needs when considering whether to pay for a subscription-based program.
