What WeBWorK does
WeBWorK is an online homework system built for mathematics, science, and engineering courses. Instructors assign problem sets; students work on them in a web browser and get instant feedback on their answers.
What makes WeBWorK different:
- Randomized problems. Every student gets a unique version of every problem. Same concept, different numbers. Collaboration means understanding the method, not copying an answer.
- Instant feedback. Students know immediately whether their answer is correct. No waiting for grading. They can retry until they get it right.
- Instructor control. Faculty choose from 60,000+ problems in the Open Problem Library or write their own. Scoring rules, due dates, and problem sets are fully configurable.
- No student cost. WeBWorK is free and open source. Students don’t pay for access codes or subscriptions.
The cost argument
Commercial homework platforms charge $40–$100 per student per semester. For a department with 2,000 students, that’s $80,000–$200,000 per year — paid by students or the institution.
WeBWorK is free software. The only cost is hosting. For most institutions, adopting WeBWorK pays for itself in the first semester.
LMS integration
WeBWorK integrates with your existing learning management system via LTI 1.3. We support Canvas, Brightspace by D2L, Moodle, and Blackboard out of the box, plus any LTI 1.3-compliant consumer with additional lead time. Students access WeBWorK directly from their LMS. Grades flow back automatically. No separate login required.
The Open Problem Library
The WeBWorK community maintains the Open Problem Library (OPL) — over 60,000 peer-reviewed problems spanning arithmetic through graduate-level mathematics, plus physics and engineering. Instructors can browse by topic, search by learning outcome, or write their own problems using WeBWorK’s flexible problem language. Custom problems stay with your institution and can be shared back to the community.
Community and sustainability
WeBWorK has been in continuous development since 1996. It’s maintained by The WeBWorK Project (TWP), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with contributions from faculty and developers at institutions worldwide.
Rationarium donates 10% of revenue back to TWP to support ongoing development, code camps, and community infrastructure.
Want to try WeBWorK at your institution?
Rationarium handles the hosting, integration, and onboarding so you can focus on teaching.