• 1 star: not yet understood
• 2 stars: basics grasped
• 3 stars: full understanding

Students should aim for 3 stars, as this indicates full understanding.

Using stars to assess understanding

The star system helps you quickly identify student progress:

• 1 star may indicate the student needs support
• 2 stars shows partial understanding
• 3 stars shows confidence with the concept

It’s normal for students to:

• need more than one attempt
• revisit levels
• improve their solution over time

For more detail on how Rodocodo develops problem-solving skills, see:
What students are learning

Rather than being shown answers, students learn how to:

• analyse problems
• test different approaches
• improve their solution over time

Learning through problem solving

In Rodocodo, students are not given the answers.

Each unit begins with a short video that introduces the concept and models how to approach the levels that follow.

Students are then expected to:

• apply what they’ve seen
• experiment
• make mistakes
• refine their solution

This approach helps students develop independence and confidence when solving problems.

A different approach to learning

Many coding platforms focus on completing levels or following step-by-step instructions, but do not give students the tools to understand why something isn’t working.

Rodocodo is designed to teach these skills directly.

Through dedicated debugging levels, students learn how to:

• identify errors
• test ideas
• improve their solution

They can then apply these same techniques across all other levels.

This means students are not just completing tasks, but developing the ability to think through problems independently.

How learning is structured

Rodocodo is organised into courses, units, and levels.

• Courses are made up of multiple units
• Each unit focuses on a specific concept, such as loops, functions, sequencing, or debugging
• Each unit contains a series of levels that allow students to practise and apply what they’ve learned

Working through levels in order helps students build a secure understanding over time.

Using the videos

The videos at the start of each unit model how to approach the levels.

If students are stuck, you can:

• refer them back to the video
• remind them of techniques demonstrated
• prompt them to apply similar strategies

Progress reflects understanding

Student progress is based on how well they understand each level, not just completion.

This allows you to see which students:

• need support
• are developing understanding
• are confident with the concept

Before your students can log in, you need to have created accounts for them. The instructions for how to do this are here: Create Rodocodo Accounts for your Students.

Method 1 – Username and Password

This is the standard method for logging in using a username and password. If this is a challenge for your students take a look at Method 2 or Method 3 below.

1. Go to the Rodocodo student log in page here: https://www.rodocodo.com/game/login
2. Enter Username and Password and click Sign In.

Where to find your student usernames and passwords:

1. Log in to Admin at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click on the Students button for your class.
4. Click on the Print button. 

A printable PDF of all your students will load which contains their usernames and passwords as well as their unique QR codes. 

Method 2 – QR Code

If you’re using a device with a camera, such as an iPad or Chromebook you can log in using a QR code. This is perfect for those (e.g. 5 year olds) who struggle to enter their username and password. If your devices don’t have cameras but want an easy way to log in take a look at Method 3 below.

How does it work?

1. Open the camera app on your device.
2. Point the camera at the QR code.
3. Tap the link that appears on the screen.
4. You are automatically logged into Rodocodo.

Here’s a 13 second video showing you how quick and easy it is:

Where to find your student QR codes:

1. Log in to Admin at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click on the Students button for your class.
4. Click on the Print button. 

A printable PDF of all your students will load which contains their usernames and passwords as well as their unique QR codes.

Method 3 – Class Link

This method doesn’t require any typing. You start by sharing a class link with your class. When clicked on, it opens a page that displays all the names of students in the class. To log in the student simply clicks on their name.

How your students log in:

1. Click the class link. (The screen shown below will appear)
2. The student clicks on their name.

Where to find the class link to share with your students:

1. Log in to Admin at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click on the Edit button for your class.
4. Make sure the Enabled button is ticked in the Class Code section.
5. Copy the Link and share it with your class.

Method 4 – Class Code

The final method is similar to the username and password method, but instead of each student entering a unique username and password, your students all enter the same class code. This code should be displayed somewhere that is easy for the whole class to see.

How to log in using a class code:

1. Go to the Rodocodo student log in page here: www.rodocodo.com/game/
2. Click on the Use a class code button.
3. Enter the 8 character class code. (The screen shown below will appear)
4. The student clicks on their name.

Where to find the class code to share with your students:

1. Log in to Admin at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click on the Edit button for your class.
4. Make sure the Enabled button is ticked in the Class Code section.
5. Copy the Code and share it with your class.

There are two methods:

1. Adding classes the quick and easy way.
2. If you know what a CSV is, and have lots of classes, use this method.

Changing passwords for a whole class

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click on the Students button.
4. Click on the Set passwords button.
5. Change the password and click on the Update button.

The passwords for the whole class have been changed.

Changing passwords for individual students

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click on the Students button.
4. Click on the Edit button for the student you wish to change.
5. Change the password and click on the Update button.

If the children in your classes remain the same from year to year, then follow the steps outlined in the Renaming the class section.

If you only need to move a few children between classes then follow the steps in the Moving students between classes section.

If your school mixes the classes when moving children up a year, then follow the instructions in the Merge children into new classes section.

If you need to delete a class you can follow the instructions in the Removing data section.

Please refer to the Choosing courses for your classes guide for detailed instructions on choosing the most appropriate course for each of your classes, based on their coding experience.

Renaming the class

If the children in your classes will remain the same. e.g. From Year 3, to Year 4. You simply have to rename the class name, rename the year group, and update the course.

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click on the Edit button for the class you want to change.
4. Change the Name field (e.g. from Budgies to Owls).
5. Change the Group field (e.g. from Year 4 to Year 5).
6. Click the Update button. You are now returned to the Classes section.
7. Change the Course using the drop down menu. (Remember to read the course selection guide to know which course to use for your class!)
8. Repeat for all the classes.

Moving students between classes

If you need to move a few individuals between classes, then do the following:

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click on the Students button.
4. Click on the Edit button for the child you wish to move class.
5. Change the class using the dropdown menu.

Note: If you have many classes to update and don’t want to do it manually, then follow the instructions below.

Merge children into new classes

If you need to merge children into new classes. So for example, if you have two year 3 classes and the children will be merged into two new classes, when they move up to year 4. Note: For more detailed instructions on how to set up the file so it’s ready for import you can find them here.

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Delete any classes that are no longer needed. e.g. The Year 6 classes that have just left.
4. Click on the Import / Update Classes button.
5. Click on the button below Upload file and select your CSV file to upload.
6. Click on the “Import / Update student accounts” button.
7. Wait.

If there are errors in the file, the page will display an error message stating which line(s) of the CSV has the problem. Please fix the errors and save your changes then go back to Step 4 to upload your updated file. If you’re unable to solve the issue then please get in touch with us at hello@rodocodo.com, and we’ll be happy to help.

If there are no errors the system will successfully import your classes.

If duplicates are found it will inform you of them and you’ll need to manually update these. This may involve manually moving a child to their new class using the instructions above in Moving students between classes.

By default, the system chooses a course, but you should change this. The changing course guide can be found here.

Removing data

If you no longer require a class (e.g. the Year 6 class that have just left), then you can delete that class.

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click the “Delete” button for the class you wish to remove. Be careful to ensure you are deleting the correct class as it is not reversible!

We have courses specifically for those that are new to Rodocodo (called Starter courses), and courses for those who have previously used Rodocodo.

If your school is already using Rodocodo, then skip to the choosing courses for existing schools section below.

For EYFS (4-5 year olds) and KS1 children (5-7 year olds) you should choose the course that corresponds to their age. So for 4-5 year olds, choose the Reception course, 5-6 year olds choose the Year 1 course, and 6-7 year olds choose the Year 2 course.

For KS2 (7-11 year olds) the Year 3 – Year 6 courses will have too high a learning curve for children who haven’t used Rodocodo before so we’ve created Starter courses which assume no prior coding knowledge. So for example, if your class are in Year 4 (8-9 year olds) then you should choose the Year 4 Starter course instead of the Year 4 course.

Choosing courses for new schools

If your class is new to Rodocodo and haven’t used it before, we recommend you set the courses as follows for your year groups:

Note: Completing the units as suggested in the table above will mean that next year they’ll be at the appropriate level for their year group and you can switch to choosing the course based on year group. For example, if this year’s Year 4 class complete the Year 4 Starter course, they can then move on to the Year 5 course. They should not do Year 5 Starter.

Choosing courses for existing schools

If your class has already been using Rodocodo then we suggest you choose the course for this year based on their progress rather than year group. This is to avoid an unnecessarily steep learning curve if they haven’t completed the requisite work for that course.

Note: If you have a new child in your class who hasn’t used Rodocodo before then please use the choosing courses for new schools table to choose the appropriate Starter course for them.

Make sure your class has completed at least the number of units specified in the table before moving your class up to the next course. If they haven’t, consider getting them to finish the minimum number of units or resetting their progress and starting the course again

To view a class’ progress to determine which course to put them on follow these steps:

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click on the Progress button.
4. You can now view the progress of your whole class.

You can see how many units each child in the class has completed.

How to set the course

Once you’ve decided on the course for each class you just need to update the course.

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Change the course for each class using the dropdown menu.

Now when any student in that class logs in they’ll see the correct course.

Note: We have consistently found that if you unlock all the units at once. Some of the more enthusiastic students will rush through the content at home before you get to it in class!

Finding the unlock units page

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click on the Unlock button.
4. You can now see which units are unlocked for your whole class.

Unlocking units for the whole class

Whilst on the unlock units page:

1. Click on the check box at the top for the unit you wish to unlock.
2. That unit is now unlocked for all the students in the class.

Note: If your students are already logged in they’ll need to log out and log in again to access the unlocked course.

Unlocking units for an individual student

You can unlock units for individual students rather than the whole class.

Whilst on the unlock units page:

1. Find the student on the left of the screen.
2. Click on the check box for the unit you wish to unlock for that student.

Note: If your student is already logged in they’ll need to log out and log in again to access the unlocked course.

Tracking class progress

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin
2. Go to the Classes section.
3. Click on the Progress button for your class.
4. You can now view the progress of your whole class.

Each slice in the pie chart represents a level in the game. The colours bronze, silver and gold correspond to the 1, 2, or 3 stars your students earn in the game.

These stars help you understand how well your students understand the topic.

• 1 star – They don’t understand the topic. E.g. They should be using a loop, but aren’t.
• 2 stars – They understand the basics but their solutions are missing something.
• 3 stars – Their solution shows mastery.

Your goal is for your class to get as many 3-stars as possible. It’s more important for a student to get four 3-stars than nine 2-stars.

By seeing how they are doing, you can set them the task of working to improve their mastery, even on levels they have already completed. So ask them to replay levels to try and get 3 stars once they’ve completed all the levels. The intro video for each unit always teaches the concept they’ll need to use to earn 3 stars.

Tracking an individual’s progress

If you want to see the progress of an individual student, follow the steps above then click on their name to see a more detailed summary of their progress. It includes information such as how long they’ve spent on each level and how many attempts they’ve made to complete the level.

Locating student username and passwords

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin.
2. Go to the Classes page.
3. Click on the Students button for your class.
4. You should see the username and password details for all the students in your class. There is a print button you can use to print cards for your students.

Note: If the passwords column is blank and you don’t know what it was you can reset the password for all the students in the class in one go, by clicking the Set passwords button.

You can also set individual passwords for each student by clicking on the Edit button for the student whose password you want to change.

Lesson plans

Although Rodocodo is perfect for independent learning, we do still advise that your lessons follow some sort of structure. To help with this we have provided lesson plans for each unit that contains the following:

• Explanation of the concept
• Learning goals
• Success criteria
• Vocabulary
• Curriculum coverage
• Preparation
• Step-by-step instructions for teaching the concept

Locating the lesson plans

1. Log in at https://www.rodocodo.com/admin.
2. Go to the Classes page.
3. Click on the Resources button for your class.
4. Click on the Lesson Plan button for the first unit.

You are now ready to start teaching your first lesson, so head on over to https://www.rodocodo.com/game.