Using StaR
How do I get started?
Don't worry, the site is super easy to use, and we've worked really hard to make the experience fun, intuitive and gamified.
The first step, of course, is to join! To do so just click the "Start learning" button at the top of the page. This will take you through the join process where you give us a few details (name, etc.), choose the package that's right for you and, finally, enter your payment details.
Once you've joined the next thing is to login. Once you're in you'll be greeted with your first badge just to welcome you! After that you'll be taken to your Dashboard, which is the main member page.
The Dashboard is your hub, showing your progress, recent activity and much more. We recommend taking some time to explore its contents so you can get the most out of the site.
Then it's just a case of watching the vids that you need. Be sure to take advantage of the many features the site offers while doing so!
How do I find videos?
There are lots of ways to find videos on StaR.
You can browse videos via the Resource Browser. To begin, just click a subject in the top navigation (e.g. "English"). That will take you to that subject's section of the Resource Browser. You can then drill further down, to find the vids you need.
If you know which video you're after and you know its name, you can search for it directly using the search field at the top of each page.
Finally, you can access some videos direct from your Dashboard - for example, videos you've watched recently, marked as favourites, marked as 'watch later', or which have been popular with other users recently.
How do I favourite videos?
Found a really helpful vid? That's what our favouriting feature is for.
Just go to the video in question, then click the star icon to the right of the video, in the vertical strip of icons.
The video will then show up on your favourites page, which can be accessed from your Dashboard.
In case you ever want to unfavourite the video, just click the star a second time.
Can I assign a video to watch it later instead?
Not got time to watch a video now? No problem; the site lets you mark a video as one to watch later.
To do so, go to the video in question, then click the clock icon to the right of the video, in the vertical strip of icons.
The video will then show up on your Watch Later page, which can be accessed from your Dashboard.
Once you've eventually watched the video, you can click the clock icon a second time to unmark it as watch later.
How do I create a Learning Schedule?
Learning Schedules help you organise your learning around a time period that works for you (weekends optional!)
To create one, go to Dashboard > Learning Schedules and click to create a new one.
This will take you to the Learning Schedule creation screen. It's really simple; you just need to choose the topic(s) you want to learn, and the time period you have to learn them (by choosing a start and end date), and - boom - the site distributes all the videos under the chosen topic(s) across the chosen days.
You can then return to your created Learning Schedule via your Dashboard. You can see under each day which videos you should watch that day, and it even tracks your punctuality and progress!
What if I can't find what I'm looking for?
To find content, you can browse our videos - by a range of criteria - or search directly using the box above.
If you can't find something, though, it could be we're still working on it. We update the site with new videos on a regular basis, aligned to the curriculum and exam boards.
To check about a specific topic, feel free to contact us.
How do I invite other users to share my account?
To invite a user (provided your package allows user invites), go to Dashboard > My account > My users > My invites. That will take you to a screen showing your current invites (if any) and, if you have any left, you'll be able to click the "New invite" button to issue a new one.
Can I check invitees' progress?
You certainly can.
You can view your invited users on the Invites page (Dashboard > My account > My users > My invites).
Those who have accepted the invitation and gone on to join StaR are shown with a green tick in the "Accepted?" column. Just click the "Check progress" button to the right to view their Dashboard and see how they're getting on.
Note this is a one-way privilege; invited users cannot similarly view your Dashboard.
