Teacher User Guide
The teacher support section has been greatly expanded and is now a comprehensive Teacher User Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register for MathsBuddy?
If you are a parent wishing to create MathsBuddy accounts for your children, please fill out the form here to create a family account. You will then be emailed instructions on setting up student accounts for your children.
If you are a teacher wishing to register your students for access to the MathsBuddy programme, please fill out the form here to create a school account. Schools are entitled to a free, no obligation, 10-week trial of MathsBuddy. We will contact you with instructions on setting up MathsBuddy accounts for the students at your school.
How does the MathsBuddy programme work?
The quickest way to see how the programme works is to view the demonstration video. The video provides an overview of the programme's features and instructions on best-use practices. All teachers, parents and students should view the demonstration video before commencing MathsBuddy to ensure they get the greatest benefit from the programme.
My child already has a MathsBuddy account provided by his/her school. Do I need to create a family account?
No. Creating a family account would only result in a second, separate account for the student. The student should solely use the account provided by their school.
I created a family account for my child some time ago, but he/she has now been given a school account. Which account should my child use?
The student should solely use the school account. This is important because teachers use MathsBuddy to set homework tasks and monitor student progress, which requires that the student logs in under their school account.
My child was using a family account but now he/she has a school account. What happens to the results my child accumulated in the family account? Can they be transferred to the school account?
Yes. Email us at info@mathsbuddy.co.nz with the login and password of both accounts and we will transfer all results from the family account to the new school account.
Can I ‘link’ school and family accounts?
No. A student is either part of a family account (administered by the parent) or a school account (administered by the teacher).
How can I monitor my child's progress?
Whether your child is using a family account or school account, as their parent you can access detailed results at any time and subscribe to have weekly reports emailed to you.
If your child's account is part of a family subscription, login to the Parents’ Area, edit your settings and tick the ‘Weekly Reports’ option. There is also the facility within the Parents’ Area to view detailed reports at any time.
If your child has a school account, login to the Parents’ Area (using your child's student login and password) and add yourself as the parent. Type in your email address and tick the ‘Weekly Reports’ option. You will then be emailed weekly updates on your child’s recent activity and overall progress with the programme. You can also get more detailed information at any time by viewing the reports in the Parents' Area.
You may also include a second email address to be sent regular feedback.
How do I unsubscribe from weekly reports and/or newsletters?
Login to the Parents' Area, edit your settings and untick the correspondence you no longer wish to receive.
How do I cancel my family account and stop further payments?
Send an email to info@mathsbuddy.co.nz, stating your login and password, and we will stop further payments. Your membership will expire at the conclusion of the last paid period.
How does the student answer the worksheets?
This is best answered in the following excerpt from the demonstration video.
The video content presented here requires the latest Adobe Flash Player. Please update your version of the free Flash Player by downloading here.
For most worksheets the answers are in multiple-choice format. Multiple-choice worksheets have a set of questions and possible answers. The answers are jumbled and there are extra, incorrect answers to avoid guessing. The student first completes the worksheet, then for each of their answers they search through the multiple-choice answers and type the corresponding letter (A to Z) into the program for marking.
Why make the worksheets multiple-choice? Why can’t the student just type the answer in directly?
The symbols and notation used in mathematics quickly goes beyond what can be readily typed using a keyboard. Root symbols, superscript and subscript characters, pi, theta, degrees, minutes and seconds... although easily written by hand there is no simple way for a student to type these symbols into the program.
For some lessons the student enters their final grade directly, rather than type the answers multiple-choice-style? Why is that?
The nature of some topics, especially in the higher end courses, do not lend themselves easily to multiple-choice-style answers. Graph Sketching and Proofs are examples. Once students have completed the worksheet they should view the worked solutions, so the student can assess their own understanding of the steps in solving the questions. Students should use the solutions and marking scheme as a guide to their level of mastery, and grade themselves appropriately.
By popular demand, however, we are in the process of converting many ‘self-graded’ lessons into multiple-choice wherever possible, so that the student has a single, consistent approach for entering answers.
Please note that the vast majority of lessons contain multiple-choice answers, and that the self-graded lessons are mainly found in the Year 11 and 12 courses.
What are the minimum requirements to run MathsBuddy on my computer?
- An Internet connection.
- A web browser such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome or Opera.
- Speakers or headphones for the narrated tutorials
Does MathsBuddy run on iOS devices such as iPads and iPhones?
Yes. MathsBuddy runs on all modern HTML5 platforms, including iOS devices such as iPads and iPhones, and Android devices.
Does MathsBuddy cover Extension 2 or Specialist Maths?
At this stage, there is no Extension 2 or Specialist course available.
Contact Us
Email your enquiry to us at info@mathsbuddy.co.nz
Complete Lesson List
