Hint Button

Most of MathFactLab's activities provide hints. This is a way to help students better understand and be more successful with the strategies that they are practicing.

The hint button appears two seconds after a new prompt is given. This delay is to discourage over-reliance on this tool.

Automatic hints are given:

• When students respond incorrectly.
• On the first five problems of each activity set after the number of seconds of a student's assigned fluency rate.
  • For example, if a student has a fluency rate of 6 seconds, the automatic hint will appear after 6 seconds have passed, but only for the first five problems in an activity set.
  • The reasoning for the automatic appearance on the first five is to fully familiarize the student with the strategy at hand and to encourage them to use the hint when needed.
  • Automatic hints are just limited to the first five in order to balance the need for the above with the potential for frustration if students are still working out the solution and don't want the hint.

Note: Most, but not all activities offer hints. Some activities offer two.