Conversation Guidelines

Best practices for productive student-AI tutor interactions.

For Students

Before You Start

• Have your assigned question ready
• Think about what you already know about the topic
• Be prepared to explain your thinking
• Remember: the goal is to learn, not just get the answer

During the Conversation

DO:

• Ask “why” and “how” questions
• Request examples when concepts are unclear
• Share your thought process with the AI
• Ask for clarification if you don’t understand
• Connect new information to what you already know
• Challenge assumptions (yours and the AI’s)
• Ask for alternative approaches or perspectives

DON’T:

• Accept the first answer without questioning
• Ask for direct answers without showing your work
• Move on immediately after getting an answer
• Ignore parts of the response you don’t understand

Good Follow-up Questions

• “Can you help me understand why that works?”
• “What would happen if I changed [specific variable]?”
• “How does this connect to [related concept]?”
• “Can you give me an example of when this might not work?”
• “What other ways could I approach this problem?”

Conversation End

• Save your conversation link
• Review your questions - did you dig deep enough?
• Share the link with your teacher as instructed

For Teachers

Setting Up Assignments

1. Choose or create questions from the subject folder
2. Explain the grading criteria (critical thinking focus)
3. Show students how to access and use the AI tutor
4. Provide clear instructions for sharing conversation links

Reviewing Conversations

Look for evidence of:

• Curiosity: Does the student ask follow-up questions?
• Analysis: Do they break down complex problems?
• Synthesis: Do they connect ideas?
• Evaluation: Do they question and assess information?
• Metacognition: Do they reflect on their thinking process?

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: Student accepts first answer without question Solution: Emphasize that follow-up questions are required and graded

Issue: Student asks only surface-level questions Solution: Provide examples of deeper questioning techniques

Issue: Student gets frustrated with AI guidance approach Solution: Explain that the indirect approach builds stronger understanding

Conversation Quality Indicators

Excellent Conversations Include:

• Multiple rounds of questioning
• Student explaining their reasoning
• Connections to prior knowledge
• Exploration of alternative approaches
• Recognition of limitations or assumptions

Warning Signs:

• Very short conversations
• No follow-up questions
• Student not engaging with AI guidance
• Immediate acceptance of answers
• Off-topic discussions

Technical Tips

Sharing Conversations

• Use the share button in ChatGPT to create a public link
• Test the link to ensure it works
• Include conversation title with your name and assignment

Privacy Considerations

• Shared conversations are public
• Don’t include personal information
• Focus on academic content only

Troubleshooting

• If the AI goes off-topic, redirect with: “Let’s focus on [specific topic]”
• If you’re stuck, ask: “Can you help me think about this differently?”
• If the AI gives too much information, ask: “Can you break this down into smaller steps?”