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Prompts Guide — Tutor AI

Tutor AI is a course assistant that answers questions about course content and activities. Students ask questions, and the AI responds using the course structure and, if the administrator allows it, the course material.

You can configure a custom prompt to control the AI's tone and behavior.

Quick rules (better results for students)​

For better answers, tell students to include in their question:

  • What they're studying (topic/unit)
  • What they're stuck on (one specific question)
  • What they already tried (optional)
  • If they want a hint or a full explanation
  • If it's about an activity: the activity name and what part they're on

Admin prompt — what you can configure​

The Custom prompt field controls how the tutor behaves. It is configured under Site administration → Plugins → Local plugins → Tutor AI → Custom prompt.

Here you can set the tone, add restrictions, or define specific behaviors.

Example — Set the tone​

Tone: warm and supportive. Celebrate small wins. Always use concrete examples from the course.

Template (copy/paste for students)​

I'm studying: {topic or unit}.
I'm stuck on: {specific question or problem}.

Please help me by:
- {hint or full explanation preference}
- {any specific detail you need}

If you need a missing detail to answer well, ask me first.

If asking about a specific activity:

I'm working on: {activity name}.

My question: {specific question about the activity}.

What I've tried: {attempt, optional}.
Please give me a hint rather than the answer.

Examples​

Example 1 — Getting help with a concept​

I'm studying: phishing.
I'm stuck on: how to tell a real password reset email from a fake one.

Please help me by:
- explaining it in simple terms
- giving 1 realistic example and 1 common mistake

Keep it short.

Example 2 — Help with an activity​

I'm studying: authentication and session management.
I'm stuck on: the activity "Week 3 Essay", I don't understand what
"implement session fixation protection" means.

What I tried: I read the PHP chapter on sessions but it's too technical.
Please explain it simply with an example.