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Prompt Library

Nicolas Ebner avatar
Written by Nicolas Ebner
Updated over a month ago

With OneTutor, you can shape how the AI tutor behaves in your courses:

  • Chat Additional Prompts: set once → control how the tutor answers questions.

  • Quiz Additional Prompts: set per generation → fine-tune how quiz questions are phrased.

This page provides best practices and ready-to-use building blocks you can easily adapt.


1. Chat Additional Prompts

Why?

To make sure the tutor’s responses match your teaching style – e.g., whether they should be guiding, reserved, or evaluative.

Modular Building Blocks (Combine like Lego):

  • Tone & Role

    “Respond factually and precisely, no small talk, key info first.”

  • Socratic Questioning

    “Ask 1–2 follow-up questions before answering. Give hints instead of full solutions.”

  • Structure

    “Organize each answer into: Short Answer – Why – Application – Source Reference.”

  • Misconceptions

    “Explicitly mark common misunderstandings as warnings.”

  • Examples & Transfer

    “Add short examples from the course context.”

  • Tables

    “For comparisons, use 2–3-column tables.”

  • Next Steps

    “End with a short Next Step for the learner.”

👉 Best Practice: Combine no more than 3–4 modules.

Examples:

  • “Answer precisely and with structure. Provide short definitions and highlight typical pitfalls.”

  • “Work in a Socratic style: ask up to two follow-up questions, then offer a solution suggestion.”


2. Quiz Additional Prompts

Why?

You can control the type of questions generated – e.g., only definition questions, misconception checks, or analytical tasks.

Options for Additional Instructions:

  • Control Bloom’s Level

    “Only recall questions (definitions, terms, facts).”

    “Focus on application in simple examples.”

    “Questions should require critical evaluation.”

  • Distractor Design (Multiple Choice)

    “Each distractor should contain exactly one subtle inaccuracy.”

    “At least one distractor should reflect a common misconception.”

  • Answer Format (Free Text)

    “Answers should be written in 3 bullet points, no continuous text.”

  • Numbers & Units

    “Numerical questions must use SI units, tolerance ±2%.”

Examples:

  • “Create MC questions with exactly 4 answer choices, covering key definitions from the course. Each question has one correct answer.”

  • “Generate questions that ask students to provide their own examples for different concepts.”


3. Best Practices

  • Less is more → short, clear additional prompts work best.

  • First, generate 1–2 test questions, review them, then proceed with a batch.

  • Including well-written example questions (with answer options) in the additional instructions can improve quiz quality.

  • Avoid statements about exam relevance → instead, focus on learning objectives.

  • Define consistent notation and units within your instructions.

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