> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.samstudio.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# SAM Studio Student View: Dashboard, Lessons, and Projects

> Understand what students see in SAM Studio: their projects dashboard, assigned lessons, coding environments, and how to submit work to their teacher.

When your students log in to SAM Studio, they land in a focused, age-appropriate workspace that shows them exactly what they need — their own projects and the lessons you've assigned. Understanding what the student view looks like helps you guide students through the platform confidently and troubleshoot questions that come up in class.

## What students see when they log in

After signing in, students land on their personal **dashboard**, which has two main areas:

* **My Projects** — all the projects the student has created or saved, organised by most recently edited.
* **Assigned Lessons** — any lessons you've assigned to them appear here in a dedicated section, making it easy to find and start their work.

Students cannot browse the full lesson library independently — they only see what you assign to them. They also cannot see any other student's projects or progress.

## Starting a new project

Students can create free-form projects at any time, independent of assigned lessons.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Click New Project">
    From the dashboard, the student clicks the **+ New Project** button.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a coding environment">
    SAM Studio offers three environments. Students pick the one that fits their activity:

    | Environment     | Best for                                                     |
    | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
    | **SAM Space**   | Block-based coding with SAM Labs hardware or virtual devices |
    | **SAM Blockly** | Visual, drag-and-drop block coding — great for beginners     |
    | **SAM Script**  | Text-based coding for more advanced students                 |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start building">
    The chosen environment opens and the student can start coding right away. Projects are named automatically (for example, "Untitled Project 1") — the student can rename the project by clicking its title at the top of the screen.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Working on assigned lessons

When a teacher assigns a lesson, it appears in the student's **Assigned Lessons** section on the dashboard.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the assigned lesson">
    The student clicks on the lesson card in the **Assigned Lessons** section of their dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Follow the in-app instructions">
    For **interactive lessons**, step-by-step instructions appear directly inside SAM Studio in a side panel. The student follows along without switching to a separate document or website. They move through each step and complete the activities as instructed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete and submit">
    At the end of an interactive lesson, the student clicks **Submit** to send their work to you. You can then view their submission and mark it complete from the teacher view Progress page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  For non-interactive STEAM or starter lessons, students follow the instructions in the lesson materials (which may be a printed worksheet or a linked document) and complete the activity inside SAM Studio. They can then save and share their project file with you.
</Note>

## Saving work

How work is saved depends on the coding environment the student is using.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="SAM Space" icon="floppy-disk">
    Saves **automatically** as the student works. No manual save needed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="SAM Blockly" icon="floppy-disk">
    Saves **automatically** as the student works. No manual save needed.
  </Card>

  <Card title="SAM Script" icon="hand-pointer">
    Requires a **manual save**. Students should press **Ctrl+S** (or **Cmd+S** on Mac) regularly, and always before closing the browser.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Warning>
  Remind SAM Script students to save their work before the end of class. Unlike SAM Space and SAM Blockly, SAM Script does not autosave, and unsaved changes will be lost if the browser is closed or refreshed.
</Warning>

## Submitting work to the teacher

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Interactive lessons">
    For interactive lessons, the submission process is built in.

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Complete all steps in the lesson">
        The student works through each step in the side panel until they reach the final activity.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Click Submit">
        At the end of the lesson, the student clicks the **Submit** button. A confirmation message tells them their work has been sent.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    You'll see the submission appear in your Progress view in teacher mode. See [Assign Lessons to Students](/platform/assigning-lessons) for grading instructions.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="SAM Script projects">
    For SAM Script projects that aren't part of an interactive lesson, students share their project file directly.

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Save the project">
        The student presses **Ctrl+S** (or **Cmd+S** on Mac) to save the latest version of their work.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Click Share">
        The student clicks the **Share** button in the top-right corner of the SAM Script editor.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Copy and send the link">
        SAM Studio generates a shareable link. The student copies this link and submits it to you via your school's preferred method (Google Classroom, email, etc.).
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Multiple students on one device

SAM Studio works well on shared devices like classroom Chromebooks or computer lab workstations. Each student signs in with their own account and sees only their own work.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Current student finishes their session">
    When the student is done, they click their profile icon in the top-right corner and select **Log Out**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Next student signs in">
    The next student signs in with their own credentials. Their own dashboard loads immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Build the logout step into your end-of-class routine so it becomes a habit — especially for younger students who may not think to log out on their own.
</Tip>

## What students can and cannot see

| Students **can** see              | Students **cannot** see                    |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Their own projects                | Other students' projects                   |
| Lessons assigned by their teacher | The full lesson library                    |
| Their own submission status       | Other students' progress or grades         |
| Their own profile settings        | Teacher view or classroom management tools |