Never wrong, only not yet right

0maths has typed answers without the need for a submit button. As soon as they hit the key for the last number (or letter) of a correct answer, it is marked as correct and they're on to the next question. It gives 0maths a fun sense of flow, but there are serious educational benefits.

Most significantly, answers are never wrong, only not yet right. This means learners need to keep working on the question until it is right.

• Learners learn by correct practice. Practicing the wrong answers will not help. On 0maths, all answers are (eventually) correct.
• This approach is important for maths anxiety. There can be no stress about getting wrong answers if there are no wrong answers.
• Human beings don't actually learn from our mistakes, we learn by getting things right. This is not something we can easily change. It's just how we're wired.
• Not-yet-right answers need more time spending on them than wrong answers. Sometimes kids just skip the questions they can't answer (or, if the question is multiple choice , hit an answer at random). Being given a low score is unhelpful - sometimes children have learned it wrong and they just accept "I'm a ⁷/₁₀ kind of guy". The not-yet-right approach means they will have to get it right to move on, giving them the opportunity to override first learning with a right answer.

Persisting until they can work out the answer by themselves is the very best thing for pupils' learning. However, sometimes pupils can be very sure they're right when they're not, and then there's a danger that they get frustrated. We work to prevent that:

1. Our answering system is intelligent enough to be flexible with typed answers. There are often multiple correct answers (eg, 3x+y-2 is the same as -2+y+3x, and many others). Any valid answer will work.
2. We offer hints if the answer is close but has sufffered a common mistake. These are generally things like misreading the question (eg, answering with area instead of perimeter), digits transposed, or a lack of units. Hints are delayed a little so that...
3. Learners get into the habit of checking their own work.
4. Combining points 1 & 2 , sometimes, ²/₄ is an acceptable answer, and sometimes it wants simplifying to ¹/₂ - depending on the difficulty level. If the latter, a hint is given (²/₄ ✓ now simplify:)

So if an answer is never wrong, how do we track progress?