We recommend that you schedule homework in advance by assigning a Scheme of learning to each class. So if you haven't yet created and published your Schemes of learning, do this first. See our article on Managing schemes of learning.
Before turning homework on for a class, there are some important steps to complete to ensure that everything runs smoothly. This article guides you through these steps.
Steps to complete
Assign a scheme of learning to the class
Assign a scheme of learning to the class
You will need to assign a scheme of learning for the class so that we can automatically set homework each week that follows your teaching.
To assign a scheme of learning to a class:
Select Management from the left hand side menu
Then select Class Manager
Select the class you want to assign the scheme of learning for
Select the correct scheme of learning from your drop down menu and press Preview Changes
A pop up box will detail the impact your changes are going to make on any upcoming homework. Check this carefully before pressing Update
Set when the class's homework will be handed out and due in
Set when the class's homework will be handed out and due in
You'll need to tell us the day and time each week that homework should be handed out for the class (the hand-out day/time), and what day and time students will need to complete it by (the hand-in day/time).
To do this:
Select Management from the left hand side menu
Then select Class Manager
Select the class you want to assign the scheme of learning for
Select the relevant hand in and hand out days from the drop down menus and select Preview changes
Check the the wording in the pop up box to ensure you are happy and select Update
Set the initial difficulty level for the class and / or individual students
Set the initial difficulty level for the class and / or individual students
You'll need to set an initial difficulty level that we'll use to personalise early homeworks for all students in the class, until we learn more about their behaviours and capabilities. By default, students are set to level 2.
To set the initial difficulty for the class if you would like it different to level 2:
Navigate to the Student Manager page by clicking Management and then Student Manager
Select the relevant class in the filter at the top of the screen
Tick the box at the top of the column to select all students in the class
Select Edit Selected students
Set the Initial homework level you would like from the dropdown
Select Save
Please note, you can set the initial difficulty level for individual students as well by just ticking the box next to their name and editing their level.
Set the length of your class's homework
Set the length of your class's homework
You'll need to set the length of your class's homework. You have the choice of any length of time ranging from 20 minutes up to 90 minutes, in 10 minute increments.
To set the length of your class's homework:
Select Management from the left hand side menu
Then select Class Manager
Select your specified length of homework under Homework length from the drop down menu
Select Preview changes
Check the the wording in the pop up box to ensure you are happy and select Update
Assign teachers to the class
Assign teachers to the class
You can assign one or multiple teachers to a class. We recommend assigning teachers to classes so that:
Teachers can receive the weekly reminder emails specific to their classes that detail what homework will be set
There are specific filtering views within Sparx Science where teachers can select to view 'my classes'
You can include teacher names to help with filtering when downloading the Student Activity Report
To assign a teacher/s to a class:
Select Management from the left hand side menu
Then select Class Manager
Select the correct teacher under Teachers from the drop down menu (note they must have already been added to Staff Manager to show here)
This saves automatically
You can remove teachers from being assigned to classes by following the steps above and pressing on Remove
Ensure that your students understand how to use Sparx Science and can log in
Ensure that your students understand how to use Sparx Science and can log in
To ensure a smooth experience for your students when they receive their first Sparx Science homework, we strongly recommend that you show them how Sparx Science works, and verify that they can all log in, before you set their first homework.
See our Getting students started article for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the first homework appear for students?
When will the first homework appear for students?
The first homework will be set on your next scheduled hand out day
For example, if you assign a scheme of learning to a class on a Tuesday and the hand out day for the class is Wednesday, the first homework will go out on upcoming Wednesday.
What should I set my classes' initial difficulty level to?
What should I set my classes' initial difficulty level to?
The initial homework level controls the difficulty for new students before Sparx has enough data to automatically adjust based on their performance.
Most teachers start students at Level 2, which lets them "practice the basics of each topic". This gives Sparx a good starting point to personalise from.
If you have students who might struggle, consider starting them at Level 1 instead - this covers "practice the basics of each topic at a gentle pace".
You can always adjust individual students later in Student Manager if needed.
Remember, once students complete a few homework assignments, Sparx will automatically adjust their levels based on how they're performing.