Overview
How MathQuest online sharing works
MathQuest lets teachers share targeted math practice assignments with students through simple web links. There are no accounts to create, no passwords to remember, and no student data collected on a server. Students click a link and start practicing immediately.
Two Sharing Approaches
How It Works
Key Principles
- No accounts needed. Everything runs in the browser. Students click a link and they are in.
- Client-side only. All data (progress, settings, favorites) is stored in the student's browser via cookies and localStorage. Nothing is sent to a server.
- No tracking. Teachers do not see individual student results through the app. Use the Print/Worksheet system for gradeable work.
- Instant setup. Generate a link in under 30 seconds and paste it into your LMS, Google Classroom, or messaging app.
Skill Queue System
Collect and manage skills before playing, printing, or sharing
The Skill Queue is a temporary holding area for skills you want to use together. Think of it as a "shopping cart" for math skills. You add skills from various places, review them, and then take action (play, print, or share).
Adding Skills to the Queue
Skills can be added from several places in the app:
- Skills Navigator: Click skills in the browsing list (see Section 2).
- Domain/Category/Skill dropdowns: Select a specific skill from the cascading dropdown menus, then click the add button.
- Inline skill list: Some views display skill lists inline — click the "+" button next to any skill.
- Skill search: Use the search bar on the home screen to find and add skills.
Viewing & Managing the Queue
The queue appears at the top of the home view as a collapsible bar. It shows a badge with the current skill count.
- Click the bar to expand or collapse the queue and see all queued skills.
- Each skill displays its name and a colored grade circle (matching the skill's grade level).
- Click the X button on any skill to remove it from the queue.
- Use the Clear All button to empty the entire queue.
Taking Action on the Queue
Once your queue has skills, the action buttons become active:
- Play: Starts a mixed practice session with all queued skills (questions are drawn randomly from the pool).
- Print: Opens the print settings dialog to generate a worksheet.
- Share: Opens the Share Settings panel (see Section 4) to create a link.
Student Landing Experience
What students see when they click your links
Direct Play Link Experience
When a student clicks a Direct Play Link, the app opens and immediately shows a landing modal:
- The modal displays the assigned skill names as colored pills so students know what they will practice.
- Fixed settings (teacher-chosen values) appear as non-editable badges. For example: 5 min 20 problems Practice.
- Settings set to "Student Choice" appear as dropdown menus the student can adjust before starting.
- The student clicks the "Start Playing!" button and the session begins with the configured settings.
Quick Start Link Experience
When a student clicks a Quick Start Link, the app loads and the skills are placed into the student's Quick Start grid on the home screen:
- The skills appear as cards in the grid, ready to be played.
- The student selects skills from the grid and chooses their preferred game mode, timer, and settings.
- If the teacher checked the Lock option, the student cannot add or remove skills from the grid — they can only play with what the teacher assigned. The lock is indicated visually on the grid.
- If unlocked, the student can freely add more skills or remove the teacher-assigned ones.
Mixed Mode Settings
Combine multiple skills with optional weighting
Mixed Mode lets you create practice sessions that pull questions from multiple skills, optionally with weighted distribution so some skills appear more often than others.
Accessing Mixed Mode
In Teacher mode, click the gear icon on the Practice mode card. This opens the Mixed Mode Settings panel.
Selecting Skills
Add skills to your mix using any of these methods:
- Browse by domain: Expand domain sections and click skills to add them.
- Search: Type in the search bar to find skills by name or category.
- From queue: Skills already in your queue are pre-selected.
Each added skill shows a weight percentage slider or input field. The weight controls how often questions from that skill appear relative to others.
Weighting & Distribution
Weights determine the probability that the next question comes from a given skill. For example, if you have two skills weighted 60% and 40%, roughly 60% of questions will be from the first skill.
Quick actions:
- Distribute Evenly: Sets all skills to equal weight (e.g., 3 skills = 33%/33%/34%).
- Reset to 0%: Zeroes out all weights so you can manually assign them.
- Clear All: Removes all skills from the mix.
Mixed Mode Settings
Below the skill selection, configure the session:
- Timer: Set a time limit or choose No Limit.
- Game Mode: Practice, Boss Battle, Car Race, or Worksheet.
- Problem Count: Number of questions in the session.
- Max Number (Range): Upper bound for generated numbers.
- Decimal Places: 0 for whole numbers, 1-3 for decimal support.
Generating a Code
Click Generate Code to create a compact skill code (see Section 7) that encodes your skill selections and weights. This code can be shared with other teachers or used to quickly reload the same mix later.
When ready, click Apply Settings to start the mixed-mode game immediately, or use the Share system (Section 4) to create a student link.
Skill Codes
Compact text codes for sharing skill configurations
Skill codes are a short text format that encodes skill selections (with optional weights) and session settings into a compact string. They are the backbone of the link sharing system.
Basic Format
A basic skill code is a series of 2-letter skill identifiers separated by hyphens, with an optional single-digit weight:
Enhanced Format with Settings
The enhanced format appends session settings after a pipe character (|):
| Token | Meaning | Example Values |
|---|---|---|
T |
Timer (seconds) | T300 = 5 min, T0 = no limit, T? = student choice |
N |
Problem count | N20 = 20 problems, N0 = unlimited, N? = student choice |
G |
Game mode | Gp = practice, Gb = boss, Gr = race, Gw = worksheet, G? = student choice |
R |
Range (max number) | R100 = up to 100, R1000 = up to 1000, R? = student choice |
D |
Decimal places | D0 = integers, D2 = 2 decimals, D? = student choice |
The ? value for any setting means the student chooses that setting on the landing screen.
Using Codes
Applying a Code
To apply a skill code you have received:
- Find the Skill Code input field (visible in both Student and Teacher modes on the home screen).
- Paste or type the code into the input field.
- Click Apply. The skills load into the queue and the settings are applied.
The code input also accepts enhanced codes with the pipe separator. Settings from the code override any current settings.
Codes in URLs
Skill codes are embedded in shareable URLs as a query parameter:
When a student opens this URL, the app detects the ?c= parameter and automatically applies the code. If the code includes settings (the pipe section), a landing modal appears (Direct Play). If it is skills only, they load into the Quick Start grid.
Infinity Mode
Unlimited practice in timed rounds
When the problem count is set to Unlimited (either by the teacher or by the student choosing it), the session enters Infinity Mode.
How It Works
- Questions are presented in 3-minute rounds.
- During each round, questions are drawn continuously from the selected skills.
- Timer progress toasts appear at 25%, 50%, and 75% of the round to help students gauge their time.
- At the end of each 3-minute round, a continue/finish modal appears.
- The student can choose to Continue (start another 3-minute round) or Finish (end the session and see their results).
- Students can continue indefinitely — there is no maximum number of rounds.
Using Infinity Mode in Shared Links
To create an Infinity Mode assignment, set the Problems setting to Unlimited in the Share Settings panel. In skill codes, this is represented as N0.
Print & Worksheet System
Generate printable worksheets from queued skills
MathQuest can generate print-ready worksheets from any combination of queued skills. Worksheets are standalone HTML files that can be printed directly or saved as PDF.
Generating a Worksheet
- Add the desired skills to your Skill Queue using any of the methods described in Section 3.
- Click Print from the queue action bar or the Skills Navigator.
- The Print Settings dialog opens. Configure your worksheet options (see below).
- Click Generate to create the worksheet.
- The worksheet opens in a new tab or downloads as an HTML file.
Print Settings
Configuration Options
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Number of Problems | Configure how many problems appear on the worksheet. |
| Columns | 1, 2, or 3 columns for the problem layout. |
| Color / B&W | Full color or black-and-white for printing on monochrome printers. |
| Answer Key | Include an answer key page with correct answers and worked solutions. |
Visual Skills in Print
Skills that use visual elements (SVG diagrams, number lines, clocks, geometry figures, fraction models) render correctly in print. The print system uses a wrapper that injects the necessary CSS variables so screen-only visuals display properly on paper.
Saving & Sharing Worksheets
- Print directly: Use your browser's print dialog (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P) from the generated worksheet.
- Save as PDF: In the print dialog, choose "Save as PDF" as the destination.
- Download HTML: The worksheet is generated as a standalone HTML file that can be saved and reopened in any browser.
Tips & Best Practices
Get the most out of MathQuest sharing
Choosing the Right Link Type
- Direct Play Links are best for focused assignments, homework, and assessments where every student should have the same experience.
- Quick Start Links are best for math centers, station rotation, or student-choice time where you want to guide the content but give students autonomy over the format.
- Lock the Quick Start grid when you want students to practice specific skills but choose their own mode. Unlock it for free exploration within a curated set.
Setting Configuration Tips
- Set timer and mode to "Student Choice" to give students autonomy while keeping the skill content fixed. Research shows student agency improves engagement.
- Keep problem count at 20 for daily practice and 10 for quick checks. Use Unlimited for independent practice time.
- Use Boss Battle for engagement and motivation. Use Practice mode for focused, distraction-free work.
- The Range setting scales number difficulty. Use 20 for younger or struggling students, 100 for grade-level work, and 1000+ for advanced students.
- Only enable Decimals for skills that support them (arithmetic, word problems, some algebra). Geometry, fractions, and clock skills have fixed domains.
Mixed Mode Strategies
- Use weights for targeted practice. Example: 60% fractions / 40% multiplication creates a session focused on fractions but with multiplication interleaved for variety.
- Interleaved practice (mixing skills) is proven to be more effective for long-term retention than blocked practice (one skill at a time). Mix 3-5 related skills for the best results.
- For review sessions, use Distribute Evenly across 5-8 skills the class has studied recently.
- For remediation, weight the target skill at 70-80% and add 1-2 prerequisite skills at 10-15% each.
Classroom Workflow Ideas
- Daily warm-up: Create a Direct Play Link with 10 problems, 3-minute timer, and the current unit's skill. Post the link in your LMS each morning.
- Differentiated centers: Create 3 Quick Start Links at different difficulty levels (Range: 20, 100, 1000). Assign students to the appropriate link.
- Friday review: Create a Mixed Mode assignment with all skills from the week, evenly distributed, 20 problems, Unlimited time.
- Homework: Direct Play Link with 15-20 problems, Practice mode, fixed range. Copy the link to Google Classroom.
- Assessment prep: Print a worksheet with answer key for practice, then share a Direct Play Link for online practice of the same skills.
- Student choice time: Quick Start Link (unlocked) with 10-15 skills from the current and previous units. Students explore freely.
Technical Tips
- Links work on any device with a modern browser — Chromebooks, iPads, phones, desktops.
- Links never expire. Bookmark your most-used assignments for quick access.
- If a link is very long, use a URL shortener (bit.ly, tinyurl) before sharing.
- Students can switch to dark mode for reduced eye strain without affecting the assignment.
- Student progress and XP are stored locally in each student's browser. Clearing browser data resets their progress.
- For formal assessment, use the Print/Worksheet system rather than online links, since you can collect and grade the physical worksheets.