Writing and drawing on the canvas
Select the Pencil tool and draw by holding the mouse or trackpad button.
Easier drawing: hold down the Space bar while the Pencil is selected to draw freely without holding the button down. This is much smoother on a trackpad and helps pupils with fine motor difficulties.
The Eraser, Highlighter, Figures and other manipulatives sit at the top right of the canvas, exactly as they do on touch devices.
Typing answers instead of writing
In Account Settings pupils choose their submission method, either typing or writing on screen. On non-touchscreen devices typing is usually quicker. Magma shows the right input tool automatically, based on the pupil's year group:
Up to Year 6 (P7 in Scotland): spreadsheet mode, for standard written methods
Years 7 to 9 (S1 to S3): the Equation Writer
Year 10 and above (S4 and above): the maths keyboard and answer box for more advanced notation
The on-screen keypad can also be switched on for accessible maths input with a mouse.
Moving and organising work
Use the Select tool to move, resize, group and delete objects. Select several items by dragging a box around them, or by holding Shift while clicking.
Rather than dragging problem content, pupils can open the problem text or image and click Paste to place it on the canvas.
Tips for classes on Chromebooks and laptops
Show pupils the Space bar trick on day one. It removes most of the frustration with trackpad drawing.
Set typing as the submission method for older pupils, and keep drawing for younger ones who are building number sense.
An inexpensive USB mouse can noticeably improve drawing accuracy compared with a trackpad.