With Assign a book you can configure a library so that your students all get their own editable copy of a book of your choosing. You can prepare a template book for your students, adding in whatever content and scaffolds are needed, then assign the book either to the whole class or specific students. When your students open Book Creator they will then find their own copy of the book ready for them to work in.
How to assign a book
First you will need to place the book you wish to assign in your students' library. You could create a new book in the library, or copy or move a book you've prepared in a different library. You can also remix a public book from Discover or elsewhere.
Next click on the Share icon beneath the book and choose Assign.
Teachers can also find the Share icon in the toolbar when editing a book, but this is hidden for students.
By default the book will be assigned to Everyone in the library. This includes any students that join the library in the future - they will receive a copy when they join.
If you're setting up a new library for a new class or topic this makes things really simple. Prepare your template book, assign it to everyone, then simply share the library invite code or link with your students. As soon as they join the library their own copy of the book will then be ready for them to start working.
Assigning to specific students
You can also pick individual students from the library and differentiate who receives a copy of the book.
👉 Check out this video on Assigning books
✨ Use this one-pager to share Assigning books with others!
Reviewing students' assignments
Once students have started working on their assigned books you can use Class View to monitor progress in each students' book.
See an overview of each student's copy of the assignment, and quickly leave feedback back by clicking on a page.
Additional assignment settings
These settings give you some additional control over what students can see and do.
Hide original book
When this is on, the original copy of the book will not be visible to students or other users in the library. This means students will only see their own copy of the book (and other students' copies if you have the Read each other's books Library setting turned on).
Lock pages
When turned on, students won't be able to add, delete or re-order pages within their copy of the assignment. Helpful when you want students to stay focused on.
Read-only assignments
You may want to assign students read-only copies of an assignment. To do this, first update the library settings to disable Edit their own book. Then when you start an assignment you'll be given two options Assign read-only and Enable editing and assign.
Assign read-only will give each of the selected students their own copy of the book which they can read but not edit.
Frequently asked questions
I've assigned a book but it hasn't made copies for all my students?
When you assign a book any students that are using Book Creator right then will receive a copy immediately. For any of your students not currently using Book Creator they will automatically receive the book when they next open Book Creator and visit the library. Think of it this way, we don't hand out the work until the student turns up.
How do I set a due date for the work?
We've intentionally kept Book Creator assignments simple, knowing that most teachers use an LMS or other system for these workflows. If you'd like to stop students working on their books after a due date we recommend turning off editing in the library's settings.
Can I have multiple books assigned within a library?
Yes you can, there's no limits on how many books can be assigned. As an example, if your class were working through a series of alphabet books you could assign Book A in week 1, then Book B in week 2 and so on. If a new student joined the library in week 3 they would then automatically receive books A, B and C.
Can I make changes or add pages to an assigned book?
Yes you can, but be aware that any students who have already received a copy of the book won't get these new changes. If your students already had an older copy of the book you might want to copy the new pages to their books instead. You can do this by viewing the pages for the book, then choosing Select, picking the pages, and then Copy to... and finally choosing the student books to copy to.
How do I stop an assignment?
To stop an assignment click on the assignment icon on the book's cover and choose Stop assignment. This will prevent any new students from receiving a copy of the book. Any students who had already received a copy of the assigned book will keep their copy.
How can I switch on collaboration on an assigned book?
It's not currently possible to switch on collaboration on an assigned book. If you'd like students to work together on the same book then you can create a book and switch on collaboration instead of using the assign feature. This also means that it isn't currently possible for students to comment on each others assigned books, as comments can only be activated on collaborative books.