Popular study app Quizlet creates a game for groups in the classroom, Quizlet Live

Education tech venture Quizlet has finally created a product specifically for use by teachers in their classrooms, dubbed Quizlet Live. It’s an online, question-and-answer matching game for small teams to play face-to-face in the same room.

Previously, Quizlet gained popularity as a Web and mobile app that let users input their own study materials, and turn them into games. Some Quizlet games feel like souped up flashcards, others feel more like Space Invaders than study tools.

Founded in 2005, Quizlet resisted taking on any venture capital until late 2015, when Andrew Sutherland, its CTO and founder, decided funding could help the company scale internationally, one of his ambitions.

The company closed $12 million in Series A funding from Union Square Ventures, Costanoa Venture Capital, Altos Ventures and Owl Ventures.

While Quizlet is in the process of translating its first mobile apps into multiple languages now, Quizlet Live is available in English today. (It can be used to quiz students on foreign language materials, though.)

Teachers like Quizlet Live in part because it sets up teams within their classroom instantly, Sutherland said. Grouping is done through the app, which means students don’t have to wait to be selected in any embarrassing popularity contests.

Once teachers initiate a game, each student receives a pin code they can use to log into Quizlet Live from any laptop or tablet.

Each team member has a short list of possible answers. For example, if the Quizlet Live screen flashes “Cairo,” students look to figure out if anyone on their team has “Egypt,” on his or her multiple choice list.

If yes, the team is expected to pin point a correct answer together, and score a point. If no, the team is supposed to demonstrate restraint. If they get one answer wrong, their score is reset to zero.

Teams that take their time and have a higher level of accuracy tend to beat teams that jump the gun, answering fast without consulting one another or reaching consensus.

Quizlet Live is supposed to help students master soft, social skills as well as hard content from world capitals to basic chemistry terms.

Teachers can use any of 125 million study sets already on the Quizlet platform as game fodder.

Sutherland told TechCrunch the app isn’t a prelude to some premium, enterprise software from the company. Though, Quizlet hasn’t ruled out developing some paid apps or services for schools and districts in the future.

“So much of learning takes place in schools, during school hours, that this was just natural. And it was something teachers wanted,” Sutherland said.

The company recently surpassed 2 billion “study sessions” via its apps and website. About 1 billion of those occurred during the past year, according to Sutherland.

With the addition of Quizlet Live, it’s possible that some of those “study sessions” will start taking place at pub quiz trivia nights around the U.S.