Quizlet's State of Modern Learning Report 2021 Reveals Ongoing Learning Loss and Need for Self-Learning Support

Findings illustrate the study behaviors of millions of high school and college-level students to help close learning gaps ahead of back to school

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Quizlet

Aug 11, 2021, 09:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Quizlet, the global learning platform known for its AI-powered study tools, today released its second annual data report: Quizlet's State of Modern Learning Report 2021, which explores online study behaviors from millions of students to understand their learning struggles and aspirations during the 2020-2021 school year. The findings illustrate that U.S. students who had more in-person learning opportunities were more engaged on Quizlet's platform and students who have been remote for the majority of the prior year could have learning losses up to 40%.

"The key findings in our data report reinforce students' growing need for self-learning support, a challenge they have always faced as they move up in grades where subjects get more complicated and learning becomes more autonomous. Remote learning has exacerbated the lack of in-person support and we anticipate students will feel residual effects in the coming school year," said Matthew Glotzbach, CEO of Quizlet. "It's critical for students to learn how to study effectively so they can continue to learn and build their confidence no matter the circumstances."

Key findings from the data report include:

Disparities in Student Learning Remotely vs. In-Person Across the U.S.

Across several countries, Quizlet saw a year-over-year increase in high school students and their equivalents studying during the fall of 2020. However, the disparity in U.S. state-by-state regulations regarding in-person, remote and hybrid learning environments had a major effect on student engagement. Quizlet's data shows that U.S. students who had more in-person learning opportunities were more engaged with their studying than those who had a mostly remote experience. For example, during fall 2020, students studying on Quizlet in Texas reached 104% of pre-pandemic levels, whereas students studying on Quizlet in Washington state where remote learning was more prevalent, only reached 58% of pre-pandemic levels.

Remote Learning Continues to Widen the Education Gap

Comparing Quizlet study data with U.S. Census Bureau data on income levels by region, findings showed that students in higher income areas had more usage of laptops and desktops compared to lower income areas. During the academic year, 75% to upwards of 80% of studying occurred on desktops or laptops for students in higher income regions averaging $100k+. However, students in lower income regions of $0-$50k remained around 63%, peaking at 67%, of desktop or laptop usage and have continued to rely on cell phones and tablets for learning.

Uptick in Studying on the Weekends

When the new school year started in 2020, Quizlet saw a significant increase in studying on the weekends (up to 60% year-over-year), in particular on Saturdays. Specifically, Quizlet saw an average increase of 38% more weekend studying from high school students and 49% more weekend studying from higher education students as they sought to catch-up and find time to concentrate on their classes.

Increased Interest in Pursuing Careers in Health Care During the Pandemic

According to Quizlet's data, more students are pursuing careers in health care, driven by the number of students studying on Quizlet for medical school and exams including the MCAT, NCLEX, Health Education Systems Incorporated (HESI), and Infection Control certification.

For example, NCLEX studying saw a year-over-year increase of 61% in spring 2020 as nursing students looked to earn their license and help fight the pandemic, and then studying jumped another 90% as of spring 2021. Heavy interest for a career in the medical field is still seen as of 2021, further encouraged by the return of in-person school instruction and the impact of vaccines being developed to help curb the pandemic.

Technology and Info-tech Certification Studying Increased as Individuals Looked to Upskill

Quizlet saw a steep increase in studying for technology and info-tech certifications as people were looking to upskill in their jobs, or adjust their career paths, as the 2020 recession took hold. CompTIA (the Computing Technology Industry Association) and IT-related certifications saw a 44% increase in studying year-over-year from 2019 to 2020, and has ballooned this spring 2021 to a 75% increase year-over-year. Amazon Web Services (AWS) certification studying increased by 88% year-over-year in 2020.

"The pandemic has amplified the importance of self-learning resources needed for students to not only counter learning gaps, but also to encourage and support their long term career goals," said Amanda Baker, director of data analytics at Quizlet. "Of particular importance, our data tells us students have different levels of learning loss heading into the new school year that will need to be remediated through personalized learning support and access to tools and technology. We hope these findings from millions of study behaviors provide key insights that educators, the community and students can act upon to succeed in next year's learning goals."

To view the full report, please visit here.

About the Methodology:
This report is based on Quizlet's proprietary information, and includes data from active users on the platform, gathered and analyzed by Quizlet's data analytics team. This report reflects global information pulled in June 2021, to inform our understanding of how students worldwide are studying online. Data on income levels in the U.S. are provided by the U.S. Census Bureau and are based on region only.

About Quizlet
Quizlet is a global learning platform that provides engaging study tools to help people practice and master whatever they are learning. Every month, over 60 million students, teachers and everyday people use Quizlet to study any subject imaginable for school, work or as part of their personal interests -- including 2 in 3 high school students and 1 in 2 college students in the US. Combining cognitive science and machine learning, Quizlet guides students through adaptive study activities to confidently reach their learning goals. The company offers a combination of free and paid subscriptions for both students and teachers that enable further customization. Quizlet is headquartered in San Francisco, California and is backed by Icon Ventures, Union Square Ventures, Costanoa Ventures and General Atlantic. For more information, please visit www.quizlet.com.

Media Contact:
Loretta Stevens
Quizlet
[email protected]

SOURCE Quizlet