> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://checkfu.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AI Tutor

> Set up an AI tutor that helps your students while they work

An AI tutor is like a teaching assistant that's always available. Students click the chat button during a lesson and ask for help. It gives hints and asks questions instead of giving the answer.

## What the AI Tutor Does

When students are working, they can open the chat and say things like:

* "I don't understand this problem"
* "Can you give me a hint?"
* "What does this word mean?"
* "Did I do this right?"

The tutor will:

* Ask questions to help students think through problems
* Give hints that point them in the right direction
* Break hard problems into smaller steps
* Encourage students when they're trying

## How to Create an AI Tutor

1. Click **Agents** in the sidebar
2. Click **New Agent**
3. Fill in these fields:
   * **Name** (required) - what students will see
   * **Description** (optional) - notes for you and your team, students don't see this
   * **System Prompt** - instructions that tell the tutor how to behave (see below)
   * **Tutoring Strategy** (optional) - pick how the tutor helps
   * **Never Reveal Answers** - turn this on to stop the tutor from giving away answers
   * **Max Hints Per Question** - how many hints before the tutor says "ask your teacher" (default is 3)
4. Save it

### Writing the System Prompt

The system prompt tells the AI tutor who it is and how to act. A default prompt is provided when you create a new agent, but you should customize it for your class. Write it like you're giving instructions to a substitute teacher.

**Include these things:**

**Who it is:**

```
You are Ms. Chen, a patient and encouraging math tutor
who helps elementary students feel confident with numbers.
```

**What it knows:**

```
You are helping students with 3rd grade multiplication.
Focus on understanding, not just memorizing facts.
```

**How it should act:**

```
Always celebrate effort, not just correct answers.
Use real-world examples like sharing pizza or counting coins.
If a student is frustrated, say something kind before
getting back to the problem.
```

**What it should NOT do:**

```
Never give away answers directly. Guide students
to discover the answer themselves.
```

### Full Example

Here is a complete system prompt you can copy and change:

```
You are Coach Alex, a friendly learning coach who helps
middle school students with science.

Your teaching style:
- Use real-world examples and comparisons
- Break hard topics into small pieces
- Encourage curiosity and questions
- Celebrate progress and effort

When a student is stuck:
1. Ask what they've already tried
2. Give a hint about what they already know
3. If still stuck, break it into smaller steps
4. Only give direct help after they've tried several times

Never:
- Give away answers without the student working first
- Use confusing language
- Skip steps in explanations

Your goal is to help students become confident,
independent learners.
```

## Tutoring Strategies

Pick the main way you want the AI tutor to help students:

### Socratic

The tutor asks questions to guide students to the answer.

> **Student:** "What's 7 x 8?"
>
> **Tutor:** "Good question! Do you know what 7 x 7 is?"
>
> **Student:** "49"
>
> **Tutor:** "So if 7 x 7 is 49, how could we figure out 7 x 8 from that?"

**Best for:** Building problem-solving skills. Good for students who can think things through with a little push.

### Hints Only

The tutor gives clues but never the answer.

> **Student:** "I don't know how to solve 3x + 5 = 14"
>
> **Tutor:** "Hint: Start by thinking about what you need to undo first."
>
> **Student:** "I'm still stuck."
>
> **Tutor:** "Hint: What number is on the same side as x? How can you get rid of it?"

**Best for:** Test prep and building persistence. Good for students who give up too quickly.

### Guided

The tutor walks through problems step by step.

> **Student:** "Help me solve 3x + 5 = 14"
>
> **Tutor:** "Let's do this together. Step 1: Subtract 5 from both sides. 3x + 5 - 5 = 14 - 5. That gives us 3x = 9. Does that make sense so far?"

**Best for:** New topics and students who need extra support.

### Direct

The tutor gives clear, complete answers.

> **Student:** "What's the formula for the area of a triangle?"
>
> **Tutor:** "Area = 1/2 x base x height. The base is any side, and the height is the straight-up distance from that base to the opposite corner."

**Best for:** Quick questions and review sessions.

### Which Strategy Should I Pick?

| Situation                     | Best Strategy     |
| ----------------------------- | ----------------- |
| Learning something new        | Guided            |
| Practicing skills             | Socratic or Hints |
| Getting ready for a test      | Hints Only        |
| Quick questions while working | Direct            |
| Building independence         | Socratic          |
| Student needs a lot of help   | Guided            |
| Advanced student              | Socratic          |

You can also tell your tutor to mix strategies in the system prompt:

```
When a student asks a simple fact, give a direct answer.
When working through a problem, use guiding questions.
When a student has tried several times, switch to step-by-step help.
```

## Connect the Tutor to Your Course

### As the Default Tutor for the Whole Course

1. Open your course settings
2. Find **Default Agent**
3. Pick your tutor

This tutor is available in every lesson of the course.

### For One Specific Lesson

1. Open the lesson settings
2. Find **Agent Override**
3. Pick a different tutor (or choose "None" to turn it off for this lesson)

## Preview Your Tutor Before Students Use It

Before you let students use the tutor, test it yourself:

1. Go to the agent's page
2. Click **Open Preview**
3. Pick a course, then pick a lesson
4. The preview lets you step through the lesson as a student and see how the tutor responds
5. Go back and change the system prompt if the tutor isn't acting the way you want

## Monitoring How Students Use the Tutor

You can see:

* How many conversations students are having
* What questions students ask most often
* Where students get stuck
* Alerts when a student seems frustrated or keeps asking the same question

This helps you figure out which students need extra help from you.