Students must actively use their knowledge of Latin grammar and Roman culture and maintain the cohesion of the passage by substituting pronouns in the correct case and type for certain nouns. As a result, students learn not just about pronouns, but also about reading, cohesion, and Roman culture. Third, students need to be motivated. At the most basic level, the courseware accepts a wide variety of possible correct answers. Helpful hints and positive feedback direct students to discover the right answer for themselves.
Tutorial screens offer students on-line grammar explanations and paradigms.
Another feature is a 'spell-check' that compares student answers with the correct answer and identifies any incorrect spellings. This feature helps reduce student frustration and lets students focus on using the language. Finally, some exercises are games or humorous situations. For example, Scriba included exercises based on Quintus' dull-witted schoolmate, Decimus. In Chapter 8, students are asked to unscramble his sentences and put them into typical Latin word order, and in Chapter 9 to correct his Latin case endings.