Aurabyte: teacher guide
Free coding practice in the browser · aurabyte.co.uk
What is Aurabyte?
Aurabyte is a free website where students learn to code with short lessons and hands-on challenges. Nothing to install: it runs in the browser on school computers, Chromebooks, tablets and phones. Students earn "aura" for each challenge, unlock badges and rank up.
What students can learn
| Language | Lessons | Challenges |
|---|---|---|
| Python | 12 | 18 |
| JavaScript | 12 | 19 |
| HTML | 12 | 12 |
| CSS | 12 | 12 |
| Java | 12 | 9 |
| C++ | 12 | 9 |
Every language has Beginner, Intermediate and Pro lessons and challenges, so students can work at their own level.
Also included
- Code lab: a space to write and run their own programs in Python, JavaScript and web pages (HTML, CSS and JavaScript).
- Hints on every challenge, and friendly feedback from Byte, the site's mascot.
- Certificates with the student's name when they finish every challenge in a level.
- Accessible: works with a keyboard and screen readers, with larger text and high contrast options.
Setting up a class
- Go to aurabyte.co.uk, sign up free and choose I'm a teacher. Send the short request with your name and school. We check every request, then switch on your teacher tools.
- In the Classes section, type a class name (for example "Year 8 Computing") and choose Create class.
- You get a 6-character class code. Choose Copy invite link and share it with students, for example on your class page.
- Choose Assignments to set challenges with an optional due date, and View progress to see how the class is doing.
What students do
- Open the invite link (or enter the class code in the Classes section).
- Sign up or sign in.
- Enter a first name or nickname so you know who they are, then choose Join class.
- Their class card shows your assignments with a tick for each finished challenge. Their progress updates for you automatically.
What you can see
- Each student's nickname and total aura
- How many challenges they've solved, for each language
- How far each student is through every assignment
- When they were last active
You can't see students' email addresses or their code. You can remove a student from a class, and students can leave a class at any time.
Privacy and safety
- Free, with no adverts. Information is never sold or used for advertising.
- No chat or messaging between users.
- Students can delete their account and all their data at any time.
- Under-13s should have a parent's or guardian's permission to make an account, or use it through the school's own arrangements.
- Full details: aurabyte.co.uk/privacy.html
Lesson ideas
- Starter (10 minutes): everyone solves one Beginner challenge, then compares approaches.
- Learn, then prove it: read a lesson together, then press Try it to go straight to the matching challenge.
- Extension: students who finish early build their own mini project in the Code lab.
- Rewards: celebrate certificates and rank-ups at the end of a unit.
Tip: Python, JavaScript, HTML and CSS work best for whole-class lessons. Running Java and C++ in the Code lab uses a shared service with a daily limit; Java and C++ challenges work as normal.