Marginal Falls Economic Quests

General Instructor Manual

A first-time instructor’s guide to opening any activity, admitting students, and running it in class.

Back to the QuestsRequest Instructor Access

Before Class

Open the Marginal Falls activity you plan to use on the computer connected to the classroom display. Students should open that same activity on their own phone, tablet, or laptop.

Request instructor accessUse the Contact Us page before class. Submit your faculty email address and a public faculty-page link with your request.
Recovery passwordYou create this when opening the room. Keep it until the activity is over.
Allow enough class timeInclude time for students to join, read the instructions, make decisions, and discuss the results.
Plan ahead: Wait until your request has been approved and you have received the instructor access details before using an activity in class.
About the screenshots: The images below show one sample activity. Activity names, themes, timers, and some button labels may differ, but the instructor workflow is the same.

1. Open the Instructor Setup

Sample ActivityClassroom Economics ActivityJoin your class and make economic decisions. First NameLast Name ROOM CODEEnter Activity PasswordI am The Instructor (Host Game)
1 Enter the instructor access code you received after your request was approved. If you have not requested access, use the Contact Us page first.
2 Select I am The Instructor (Host Game).
Use the lower password field. The first-name, last-name, and room-code fields are for students.

2. Create the Classroom Room

INSTRUCTOR ACCESSHost Dashboard SetupCreate a room for your class, or recover an active room using its recovery password. Create New RoomSet room recovery passwordCreate Room Recover RoomROOM CODERoom recovery passwordRecover Room
1 Create a recovery password, then select Create Room. You only need the recovery panel if you are reopening an existing room.
Sample activity shown. The room code appears on the instructor dashboard after the room is created.
  1. Choose a recovery password.This protects the instructor room if the tab closes or you switch computers.
  2. Select Create Room.Keep the recovery password private. The dashboard opens with a five-character room code.

3. Have Students Join

The room code appears only after you create the room. It is on the instructor dashboard—not on the Host Dashboard Setup screen.
1Find the code
2Share it with students
3Students enter name + code
4Wait for everyone

3A. Find and share the room code

After you select Create Room, the instructor dashboard opens. The new five-character code is shown in the Room Code card. You can display the dashboard or select Copy Room Code and paste the code into your LMS or class chat.

MARGINAL FALLS · ECONOMICS ACTIVITYSample Activity DashboardROOMA7KQ2DASHBOARDINSTRUCTOR INSTRUCTOR SPACEHost ControlsROOM CODEA7KQ2STUDENTS0Copy Room CodeStart InstructionsThe room is ready.Share A7KQ2 with students.Their names will appear after they join. 12
1 This is the room code students need.
2 Use Copy Room Code if you want to paste it elsewhere.
Sample activity shown. The code is only an example; use the code generated on your own dashboard.

3B. Tell students what to enter

Students open the same activity page. On the opening screen, each student enters their first name, last name, and the five-character room code from your dashboard. They then select the main button below the room-code field to join. Its wording may reflect the activity’s theme.

Sample ActivityClassroom Economics ActivityJoin your class and make economic decisions. AlexMorganA7KQ2Enter ActivityPasswordI am The Instructor (Host Game) 123
1 Student enters their first and last name.
2 Student enters the code shown on your dashboard.
3 Student selects the activity’s main join button.
Students do not enter the instructor access code. They leave the lower password field alone.
Sample student entry using the example room code A7KQ2.

3C. Confirm that everyone is waiting

After joining, each student sees their own name and the number of students connected. On your dashboard, the Students count rises as people join. Wait until the count matches the number participating.

This is what a student sees after joining:

ROOM A7KQ2Waiting for the HostYou are connected as Alex Morgan.Please wait here until the instructor starts the instruction screen.24STUDENTS CONNECTEDThe 60-second reading timer has not started yet.
Sample waiting room. The student can see their own name and the number of classmates connected; the screen advances when you start the instructions.
When the Students count matches the number participating, select Start Instructions. Every waiting screen advances automatically to the activity instructions. Students can read the instructions and mark themselves ready. If the activity uses a timer, it will also advance them when the timer reaches zero.

4. Start the Activity

MARGINAL FALLS · ECONOMICS ACTIVITYSample Activity DashboardROOMA7KQ2DASHBOARDINSTRUCTOR INSTRUCTOR SPACEHost Controls ROOM CODEA7KQ2STUDENTS24 LOBBY READINESS24 / 24INSTRUCTIONS TIMER0s LOCKED-IN0 / 24ROUND TIMER— Copy Room CodeInstructions Started▶ Start Round 1✓ End Round Now↻ Clear Class & Restart Classroom SummarySTUDENTCOMPLETED CHOICESCURRENT DECISIONSTATUS Alex Morgan00ReadyJordan Lee00ReadySam Patel00ReadyAll 24 students are connected and ready.Select Start Round 1 to open the decision screen on every student device.
1 Confirm the Students count before beginning.
2 If readiness is displayed, wait for it to reach the class total.
3 Select the button that starts the first round or decision stage.
4 During play, monitor the submission or locked-in count.
5 Use the end-round control only if you want to finish before the timer.
Sample activity dashboard. The numbered outlines show the usual locations of the controls used during class.
  1. Wait for everyone to be ready.Confirm the student count and, when shown, the readiness total.
  2. Start the first round or decision stage.The decision screen opens automatically on student devices. The exact button wording may vary by activity.
  3. Monitor submissions.The round normally closes when everyone submits or its timer reaches zero. Use an end-round control only if you want to close it early.
Do not select Clear Class & Restart during play. It erases the current classroom session and returns the room to the beginning.

5. Discuss the Results and Continue

  1. Show the class outcome.Use the results, graph, table, or classroom summary provided by the activity.
  2. Ask students for their reasoning first.Let them explain their choices before connecting the outcome to the economic concept.
  3. Run the next stage or round.When the next control appears, briefly explain what students should reconsider, then continue. Repeat the same start–monitor–discuss sequence until the activity ends.

If the Instructor Page Closes

  1. Reopen the same activity.Enter the instructor access code you received after approval, then select the instructor link.
  2. Use Recover Room.Enter the five-character room code and the recovery password you created.
  3. Continue from the dashboard.The room and its student data should reappear.
Marginal Falls Economic Quests · General Instructor Manual