# Collect photos of handwritten work

> Students scan a QR code with their phone, photograph their paper and the photo lands in the right question on your live view, no pen tablet needed.

URL: https://learnworkly.com/help/live-lessons/handwritten-work · Updated 2026-11-11

Some work is best done on paper: long maths working, diagrams, handwriting practice. With LearnWorkly, students photograph that paper and the photo is attached to their answer, so you see it on the live view next to everything else.

## Which questions accept photos

Photos work on **Free response** and **Drawing** questions. In the activity editor these questions have an **Allow photos of handwritten work** switch, which is on by default. Turn it off if you want typed or drawn answers only.

## What students do

1. **On a computer: show the QR code** Under the question, the student presses **Use your phone to photograph handwritten work**. A QR code appears with the message **Scan with your phone camera**.
2. **Scan and take the photo** They scan the code with their phone camera. A page opens showing their name and the question; they press **Take a photo** and send it. No app and no login are needed on the phone.
3. **The photo appears** The photo shows up in the question on their computer and on your live view straight away. The QR code closes by itself once a photo has arrived.
4. **On a phone or tablet** Students who work on a phone or tablet see **Take a photo of your work** instead, which opens the camera directly. On a computer they can also press **Choose a photo** to upload an image file.

*[Screenshot: A student’s phone showing a drawing question with handwritten working and a Take a photo of your work button, with a Submit button at the bottom.]*

## Good to know

- The QR code works for 15 minutes. If it expires, the student just shows a new one.
- A question keeps up to five photos. Students see small previews and can remove a photo while the work is still open.
- Photos follow the same rules as other answers: once the work is submitted, closed or past the due date (when late work is off), no new photos can be added.
- Photos are made smaller on the device before upload, so they send quickly on a mobile connection.

## Private by design

> **Private by design:** Photos are stored privately and only shown through short-lived links to you and the student. The QR link only lets a phone add photos to that one question for that one student.

## Frequently asked questions

**How do I mark a photo?**
Click the student’s card to open their answer. The photos are shown under the answer, and you give a score and feedback as for any other open question.

**Can students send more than one page?**
Yes. After the first photo, the phone page shows **Take another photo**. Only the five most recent photos are kept for a question.

**Does the student’s phone need to join the class?**
No. Scanning the code is enough. The phone page shows the student’s name and the question so they can check it is the right one.