Overview


micro:bit classroom is a new tool that helps educators easily manage students’ work when programming the BBC micro:bit. You can share a program, review students’ work live, download a class report of work completed, pause student work and save to resume for a later class.


No registrations are required, and it's completely free. The micro:bit classroom tool is currently in Beta, meaning that the Foundation are still testing and fixing bugs before the full release is made live.


For any issues or feedback using micro:bit classroom please create a support ticket.

Contents

How do I use micro:bit classroom?


An in depth set of instructions on using micro:bit classroom is available in our support article.


Simple instructions are also provided within micro:bit classroom. Open  classroom.microbit.org in a new browser window, enter the activity details and you will be taken to the instructions page, listing the 4 steps you need to take to run a micro:bit classroom session.



The adafruit website also has a quick guide.


Can I use micro:bit classroom for remote/online learning?

If you are already using or planning to use video streaming tools for remote/online learning, you can combine them with micro:bit classroom to run your own live micro:bit coding lessons. Students do not need micro:bit devices to use classroom, they can program the simulator in MakeCode. Here is a video walk-through on Using micro:bit classroom with remote teaching:



The micro:bit website also has further guidance for teaching online/remote learning.

How many students can join a micro:bit classroom session?

micro:bit classroom is designed primarily for classroom use and in Beta testing has been used with classes of 30 students. It is possible to use it with more students, but the educator's device will be doing more work as more students are added. As micro:bit classroom is still in Beta, we would appreciate feedback if you are using it with a large number of students.

Can you have more than one teacher in a remote classroom session?

Currently, it is not possible for more than one person to have the role of teacher in a classroom session. As an alternative, a second teacher could join the session as a student would and the main teacher can share student code with that teacher as described in the guidance for interacting with student code.

Can I set a micro:bit classroom activity and let students complete it when I'm offline?

As micro:bit classroom is designed primarily for classroom use, it is expected that the educator will be online throughout the session to monitor and engage with student work. If the teacher is offline the student will get a holding message informing them that they cannot access micro:bit classroom


If you are teaching remotely it may be possible to allow students to complete work in-between two online sessions or set the project in micro:bit classroom and have the student submit a link or HEX file from one of the editors for their final program. We would appreciate feedback if you are using the classroom tool in this way.


The MakeCode team have also published some guidance for using the micro:bit editor in assessment and with Learning Management Systems,  and some general resources.

How long can a micro:bit classroom session last?

There is no limit on the length of a classroom session, providing the teacher has the session open in a browser window. If the teacher's browser is unattended for a while, they will see a notification reminding them to save the session.

How do I delete a session in micro:bit classroom?

If you no longer wish the classroom session to be available, you can end the session by:


  1. Opening the Save Classroom tab at the top of the screen



2. Selecting End session

You will be prompted to download the classroom file and students will be moved to the 'Congratulations...` screen.


If you leave the session open in your browser, you can return to classroom.microbit.org at any time and if you have used local storage (the default) and students are still connected then it ill reconnect them to the classroom. 


If the teacher is offline, students will get a holding message informing them that they cannot use the classroom.


Can I change the default language in micro:bit classroom?

The classroom tool itself does not have an option to change the language. 


However, the MakeCode editor inherits the language that is currently set in the makecode.microbit.org Web editor. So to change the default language:

  1. Navigate to makecode.microbit.org and use the settings menu to open the language options and select your chosen language.MakeCode language selector

  2.  Go back to classroom.microbit.org and the next time you use the MakeCode editor it will be in your chosen language.


The Python Editor also has a language selection built-in and you can change this directly from within the classroom tool.

How do I recover a session if I accidentally close the browser window?

If you have left 'Use temporary storage' enabled when you set up the class, you should be able to restart the last activity where you left off.

You will see a message asking you if you want to 'Yes, restart activity' or 'Delete recovered data'



If you select 'Yes, restart activity', you will be taken to the Dashboard.