Brainly is an online homework helper that is available both as a website and a mobile app. Students use Brainly to get help with their learning from fellow students and from experts in the subjects. As such, "Brainly is a knowledge-sharing community where 350 million students and experts put their heads together to crack their toughest homework questions." I am definitely adding Brainly to my list of homework help websites here in educatorstechnology.com.
I like to think of Brainly as the Wikipedia of homework. Students draw on the collective wisdom of other students and teachers to find solutions to the learning problems they face in a wide variety of subjects including Math, History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Social Studies, Geography, Arts, Computer Science, Business, Law, Engineering, World Languages, Health and many more.
The way Brainly website works is simple and easy: students ask questions either in the form of text or pictures and the Brainly community provides answers. Answers to students questions can be provided by other students, PhDs, teachers, educators, among others. Answers are verified on a daily basis by a dedicated team of subject experts and moderators.
As many subjects have already been explored in Brainly, students are advised to first use the site's search functionality to make sure their question has not been asked before. Additionally, when formulating questions, students are advised to write precise and clear questions with no spelling and grammatical errors. The clearer the question the higher the chance of getting accurate answers from community members. Questions can also include attachments allowing students to provide more contextual information and data to help clarify their questions. For more on how to formulate better questions check out these guidelines.
Another great feature I like about Brainly is its interactivity. Students learn in an interactive way. For instance, they can contribute to the knowledge building taking place in the site by helping solve other students' problems. They can also report false answers and inappropriate content to Brainly's moderators, and many more.
There is also the possibility for students to work directly 1:1 with Brainly tutors. That is, instead of simply asking a question and waiting for an answer, students can get help live and directly from vetted experts. Students can "chat directly with [a] tutor, ask follow-up questions, and be given images, equations, and drawings to guide you through the correct answer." However, Brainly Tutor feature is only available for paid subscribers; also only questions related to math and physics are supported by Brainly Tutor.
Parents can also join Brainly and pair their accounts with their kids. In so doing, they get to keep track of their kids learning progress, learn about the challenges they face with their homework, and also contribute by giving a helping hand. When parents upgrade their accounts, the upgrade carryover to their kids account for no cost. Again, this feature has some limitations. For instance, parents can pair their accounts with only one child. If they have more than one child they need more than one parent account.
As for Brainly ranking system, there are two types of ranks: regular ranks and special ranks. Regular ranks are reached by collecting a given number of points and best answers. Regular ranks include (genius, ace, expert, virtuoso, ambitious, helping hand, and beginner). Special ranks "are the other ranks that you may see on specific accounts. Accounts that have special ranks will also have a regular rank above them."
The Textbook Solutions is another great resource provided by Brainly website. It is a hub where students can find step by step solutions to the learning difficulties they face in their textbooks. Students can search for a particular textbook using the site's search filters. They need to type in the title or part of the title of the textbook, select a specific subject and schools (e.g., college, high school middle school, and elementary school) and click on the magnifying glass. Once they find the textbook they are interested in they can click on it and scroll down to explore the exercises and solutions it offers.
Brainly offers two main plans a basic and a premium plan. The Basic plan has a number of limitations. These include; it supports ads, provides access to only a limited amount of content, interruptions, and many more. Brainly Plus, on the other hand, allows users to access to unlimited content including Verified Answers.