Vocareum AI Compass includes an authoring interface for those not using content from preset content banks. This tool is where concept maps, questions, and static question groups can be made and saved in set “domains”. Concept map and question editing are AI driven but have a manual mode as well. All content goes through a human vetting process before being released to students.
Navigation
Compass Authoring is found in the Compass tab of the Control Center.
Select a pre-existing domain to edit it, or create a new domain by clicking the plus button in the top right corner.
Creating a New Domain
When creating a new domain, fill in the following information:
Domain name is visible to authors, assignment creators, and students. It will be the name used in the authoring list from step 2, what teachers see when selecting a domain for an assignment, and what students will see when viewing their progress map.
Domain description can also be viewed by instructors and students checking progress maps, but it is also used as context when using AI mode to generate the concept map. The more detail here about relevant material the domain covers, the better the AI generation of concepts will be.
Policy is required to determine what LLMs and models this domain can use for generation. There should be a default policy authors have access to; if not, check with your organization administrator.
Share is an optional step that allows you to add users to collaborate and edit the domain, or courses to allow teachers in those courses to select the domain when creating assignments. When sharing a domain with a course, it also enables students to see that domain in the overall course progress map.
Click “Save Domain” to create.
Once a Domain is created, a blank concept map is shown. Typically domain creation starts with a concept map and then moves on to questions, however if you are uploading questions from an external file you can skip this step.
Note: we recommend the creation of a concept map for the best outcomes for student progress and to give context for the tutor.
Creating and Editing a Concept Map
To create a concept map you can use AI Mode or Manual mode:
For AI Mode, click “Add New Concepts” or click a concept(s) to edit. Describe the changes you would like to make in the prompt box. This could be creating concepts, describing what the relationships between concepts should look like, etc.
NOTE: An intentional safeguard is that AI Mode does not allow the deletion of concepts, deletion is described in the “Manual Mode” section.
Tips: The more detailed you are the better the results will be when adding new concepts.
For further settings you can select the cog on the right side of the panel.
For using file(s) as context along with your prompt (i.e. a syllabus, article, your teaching materials or homework assignments, etc.) you can toggle on “Use File” to select from previously uploaded files, or upload a new file.
Manual Mode allows you to create and edit concepts, create and edit relationships between concepts, and delete concepts.
Select a concept to edit the concept description (which is used as context for question generation, so the more detailed the better) and dependents of that concept in the left sidebar. In the image, Concept 2 is a dependent of Concept 1.
Hover on Concept 2 to remove it as a dependent.
Click “Delete Concept” to permanently delete the concept and any questions already generated in that concept.
Select “Edit Concepts” to multi-select concepts for deletion.
Question Generation
Once you have a domain made, you can generate or upload questions for each concept.
Select the “View Questions” tab. And “Add New Question” to begin.
This will bring you to the Question Generation UI. There are two sections: Question Generation and Question Upload.
For Question Generation, you will have to fill out the following fields:
Question Type options include Multiple Choice, Free Response and Cloud Lab. You can only generate one type at a time.
Concept allows you to generate for one, multiple, or all concepts at once.
Tip: The better your concept descriptions, the better the questions are and more inline with what you mean by each concept.
Custom prompt allows you to put a general prompt for what questions you want.
To have even more fine grained control, click the cog to the right to prompt for each section of a question.
Example:
Select the number of questions (between 1 and 5 per batch)
Optionally: switch models (there will be a default set if you do not change it) using the cog wheel next to the Generate Questions button.
Click “Generate Questions”
For Question Upload you will have to fill out the following fields. Note, the question list does not need to have all the elements in a Compass question, if something is missing it will be generated by AI – so no need to have a solution, hint, or explanation, the only requirement is a question statement.
Custom prompt allows you to put a general prompt for what questions you want.
To have even more fine grained control, click the cog to the right to prompt for each section of a question.
Upload Question List allows you to select from previously uploaded files, or upload a new file.
Optionally: switch models (there will be a default set if you do not change it).
Optionally: switch models (there will be a default set if you do not change it) using the cog wheel next to the Upload Questions button.
Click “Upload Questions”
Questions that are generated or uploaded will appear in the “Pending” tab of the question list for manual review.
If you want to edit a question you can use AI or Manual Mode:
For AI Mode:
Select the part(s) of the question you want to edit and prompt what changes you want to make.
Then click “Generate”
Once done, click accept or reject for the AI revisions before moving on.
For Manual Mode:
Click “Edit” to change any part of the question. For math there is an integrated equation editor.
The eye symbol allows raw edit for any code or if you prefer raw latex and not unrendered math.
You can also change the concept the question is in if another fits it better here.
Click “Save” or “Cancel” before moving on.
All questions must be approved or rejected before becoming available to students using the vetting tool.
Approved questions are used as context for generating future questions in the concept to avoid repetition and slowly begin to match your style and preferences.
Question Groups
If you want to assign specific questions in the future, or create a group of questions to randomly pull from for assignments, you may want to create a question group. For example, if you have a domain with 50 questions total, but you only want to assign 10 of the questions for homework, make a question group with those 10 questions. Alternatively, if you want to make a random practice quiz but only 30 of the 50 are questions that may appear on the quiz, make a group with those 30 questions. Later, when setting up the assignment, you can choose to randomly pick n questions from the 30.
Select the “Manage Question Groups” tab. And “Create New Group” to begin.
Name your group and Click “Create Group”.
Select questions or whole concepts using the “+” from the “Questions Available” list on the right to move them to the “Questions Selected” list on the left.
Click the “–” to remove questions/concepts from the “Questions Selected” list on the left.
Click “Set Order” to change the order of the questions by dragging and dropping them.
Click “Save” before exiting.
Additional Tools
The banner at the top has some additional tools:
The “i” icon allows you to reopen the Domain Information to update it. It also allows you to view/remove any files that have been uploaded.
The “+” icon allows you to make a new domain.
The copy icon allows you to duplicate the current domain – with or without questions included.
The trashcan icon permanently deletes the domain.