When your school subscribes to the Maths component of Essential Assessment, you gain access to our learning app, Jetpack Algebra. Jetpack Algebra is designed to build student understanding and knowledge of Algebra. The activity begins with early-years algebraic concepts and progresses through to the most efficient processes for solving linear equations, linear inequalities, and exponential equations.
Students take their avatar through an exploration of algebraic concepts spanning Kindergarten to Year 10 for NSW, and Foundation to Year 10 for VIC/AC with content organised by difficulty level so it can grow with each student.
Getting Started
To set up Jetpack Algebra for your students, start by navigating to the Learning Apps tab, and selecting the toggle on for Jetpack Algebra.
Then, select View/Assign Activities:
This view gives teachers a complete picture of where every student is up to depending on the starting Stage/Range that has been selected. Each column represents a specific concept (identified by its curriculum code), and each row represents a student in the class.
You can adjust your students starting difficulty by selecting the Difficulty drop-down option:
Click the magnifying glass above any column to preview the activity for that specific level.
Click the + icon above any column to assign that activity as the starting point for every student in the class. All students will begin their next session at that level.
Please note: When reassigning the starting point for your whole class, it is important to ensure that all students can access the content and experience early success. Consider the needs of students with lower levels of readiness, as setting the starting point too high may create unnecessary barriers to engagement. Choosing an accessible starting point promotes equity and ensures every student has the opportunity to build confidence before progressing to more challenging content.
Understanding the Progress Dots
Each row of dots in the Class Overview represents a student's progress through that skill, read from left to right.
A large green dot shows the level the student is currently working on.
Smaller, lighter dots to the left of the large dot represent levels the student has already passed or have been skipped.
Dots to the right of the large dot are levels the student has not yet reached — they can keep progressing through these.
In short: students are working their way left to right along each row, and the big green dot always marks their current position.
How Students Play
Students access the Jetpack Algebra app through the remote icon at the bottom of their screen once they log in.
Within each activity, the student's avatar travels upward using a jetpack as they answer questions correctly. Students must answer each question correctly before they can move on to the next question.
If students answer is correct, the student's avatar jets upward to the next question.
If students answer is incorrect, the student's avatar moves downward, and they try again.
Please note: Students need to understand that to progress to the next level, they must answer all 10 questions correctly in a row. If they answer a question incorrectly, they will return to the beginning of that level and start the sequence again. For some students, this can be challenging, so it is important to reinforce that perseverance is part of the learning process and an intentional feature of the game. Encourage students to view each attempt as an opportunity to build confidence and mastery.
Students enter their answer using the on-screen number pad and select GO to submit. The level indicator and progress bar in the top-left corner show how far the student has progressed within the current level
Students have the ability to pause and resume without the entire level resetting.