Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to run Jotter with confidence, including what to do if something goes wrong mid-session. Can't find your answer? Email hello@jotter.education.
Getting started
What is Jotter?
Jotter is a library of short, interactive activities you run with your students: walkthroughs, interactive cases, quizzes and more. Students do the thinking on their own device while you see how they're getting on live, then discuss it together. It's designed to be run with an academic in the room, not in place of one.
Do students need an account or a login?
No. Students join with a code: no account, no password, no app to install. Activities run anonymously, so there's no barrier to taking part and no personal data to manage.
What do students need to take part?
Any web browser on a laptop, tablet or phone. That's it.
How do students join a session?
Share the join link or the join code with your class (your study dashboard has a "Copy invite for students" button). Students open the link, or go to the join page and type the code, and they're straight in.
Running a session
How do I see what students are doing?
Open the live monitor for an activity. It shows each group (or student) working through the steps in real time: their progress, their answers, whether they're right or wrong, and how confident they were. The plenary view then lets you pull up each question to discuss the answers together.
Can I run the same study twice in a day (e.g. a morning and an afternoon group)?
Yes. After the first session, open the study and click "Reset for a new run". It clears that session's student data (answers, live presence and questions) so the next group starts with a clean slate. Your activities and setup stay exactly as they were.
How do I check a study is ready before class?
On the study dashboard, click "Check it's ready". It runs a quick pre-flight check (confirming the activities load, students can join with the code, and the live monitor will connect) and shows you green ticks (or flags anything to fix) before you're in front of the room.
If something goes wrong
What if the internet drops mid-activity?
Once an activity has loaded, it keeps working even if the connection wobbles: the app caches it on the device. Opening your study also pre-loads the whole session up front, so a blip in the lecture theatre won't blank the content. Students' answers sync back up when they reconnect.
What if I can't reach the platform at all?
Every study has a "Backup pack" button. It produces a clean, printable worked-answers document for every activity in the study (questions, correct answers, model answers, the key takeaway). Open or print it before your session and you can teach the whole thing with no technology at all. It's the ultimate safety net.
Something isn't working: how do I get help fast?
Use the "Need help?" button on the live monitor or your study dashboard. It opens a message to us with your session details already filled in, so you can reach us straight away without breaking your stride.
Accounts & access
Why do I keep getting logged out: how do I stay signed in?
Keep "Remember me on this device" ticked when you sign in and Jotter keeps you logged in on that device. (If you previously found yourself logged out after testing an activity as a student in the same browser, that was a bug we've since fixed.) If it still happens, email hello@jotter.education and we'll look into it.
How do I get a Jotter account?
Academics join Jotter by invitation. Get in touch and we'll set you up.
Can I request an activity that isn't in the Library?
Yes. Use "Request an activity" in the Library or on your dashboard. Tell us the topic, level and what would help your students, and it comes straight to us to build.
Data & privacy
What data do you collect about students?
Anonymous activity data only, never names or emails. It helps us understand how sessions are used and shape what comes next. The full detail is in our privacy notice, and how we keep the platform usable for everyone is in our accessibility statement.