It’s happened again, another change. As of August 1, 2022, Quizlet users without Quizlet Pro subscriptions cannot practice terms via the Learn mode and Test mode indefinitely, something we all have become aware of. Now, Free Quizlet users can only do the Learn mode five times and the Test mode once, and the Gravity game has been removed altogether for all users.
Due to its tremendous growth and need to keep its service sustainable, Quizlet is a partially paid service. Started in 2005 by Andrew Sutherland when he needed a study tool for his French class, Quizlet has made multiple changes to its software over the years. These changes include creating Quizlet Live, renaming Learn mode to Spell, and introducing the Learn we know today. However, all of these changes paled in comparison to the latest one, which received an overall negative response and caused people to search for possible alternatives to Quizlet.
An alternative that became particularly well-known is Knowt, thanks to Ramya Ravuri (head of Knowt’s marketing). Knowt.io is a free website made by Abheek Pandoh (CEO), Abhishek Patel (CTO), and Daniel Like (who no longer works at Knowt) in 2016. While visiting his AP Computer Science teacher, Abheek saw Daniel making an Android app that took notes that were passed in and turned them into flashcards. He instantly fell in love with the idea, and by 2017, they had Android and iOS versions of it, as well as a web app. Two years later, Abheek and Daniel reconnected while in their respective colleges and found numerous things they could improve the app upon and started working on a new version. This time was around when they met Abhishek, who first joined the team as a mobile engineer and would later become the CTO of Knowt. Today, their team consists of recent graduates, college students, and even some high schoolers. While Knowt launched relatively recently and continues to improve, its use of spaced repetition, a feature that Quizlet used to have, has made it quite appreciated in the world of study tools. For context, a spaced repetition program asks you if you got the correct answer. If not, it will show you the card again later.
Using Knowt
For those unaware of how to become a Knowt user, you first must create an account and click on the plus icon at the bottom right of the page.
Four options will pop up: “Create flashcards,” “Create a note,” “Import a note,” and “Create a folder.” To import a Quizlet, click on “Create flashcards.”
You then need to make your own set or import it from Quizlet. All you need to do to import is insert the link to your Quizlet!
Another feature of Knowt is converting your notes into flashcards. Since this feature is still in beta, you will have to format your notes in one of two ways shown below:
One major thing that separates Knowt from Quizlet is that they can pay you or give you volunteer hours to make study sets. To apply for this, you will need to go to knowt.io/knowttakers!
Once you hit “Apply,” you will need to fill out a form that asks for your name, email, state, school, grade, GPA, and why you are interested in being a Knowttaker. The application will also ask you to include a link to a set you created. Knowttakers often make sets using typical textbooks found in classrooms like AMSCO and Ways of the World. The platform is home to notes on history, chemistry, biology, physics, economics, calculus, and algebra textbooks and sets created by other students. You can access such notes by going to the “Explore” tab at the top and scrolling down to the “About” section.
For the most part, studying shouldn’t become challenging or restrictive. If you are more comfortable with and can manage Quizlet’s changes, feel free to continue using it. After all, the app remains a good option for those in need of a study tool and has been used by millions of students for multiple years consecutively, but on the other hand, Knowt is 100% free and shows signs of rapid growth (including a new dark mode for the 3 AM gang). And in terms of Frisco ISD, students can still use Knowt while using Frisco ISD wifi, unlike Quizlet. Choose your weapon.