Q&A in Sagepost

Q&A is at the core of the student's learning experience with Sagepost.

There are two primary ways a student can interact with the course material and their instructor:

1. Ask Anything: To engage in a chat-like experience for instant answers with provided sources.
2. Posting a Question: To submit a question directly for the instructor to review and verify.

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Ask Anything

This feature provides a chat environment where the student can ask any question about the course material. Answers are generated instantly by AI, and source information is provided when possible, allowing the student to see the origin of the answer. This tool is ideal for:

• Quick Checks: Such as asking, "When are office hours?"
• Exploring Content: Delving deeper into course topics at the student's own pace.

When relevant, sources are listed under the answers. These sources may include:

1. Public course material (readings, slides)
2. Prior student questions and answers
3. Instructor-only material (notes used to improve AI accuracy)

If the chat leaves the student with an outstanding question, they can easily escalate it for instructor review. The student simply clicks “Turn Chat into a Question” during a chat session. AI will summarize the conversation into a single question. The student can then edit the AI-generated title and question before posting it for review.

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Posting a Question

If the student already has a specific question that requires the instructor’s input, they can go directly to “Post Question”.

• Title: While optional, a descriptive title (e.g., "Assumptions of Regression") is highly recommended to orient the instructor. If no title is provided, the system will auto-generate one from the question details.

As soon as a question is posted, an AI answer is generated from the course materials and prior Q&A. The question is also added to the list on the left sidebar.

Importantly: The initial AI answer is marked “Unverified”, indicated by the badge above it. The instructor is notified when new questions are posted and will take one or both of the following actions:

1. Verify the AI Answer: Confirms that the generated response is accurate and satisfactory.
2. Add an Instructor Answer: Provides their own response for additional clarification or detail.

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Question Details

To review questions from other students, the student can search or scroll through the list on the left sidebar. Visual indicators provide a quick status check:

• A green check mark indicates the question has been answered (either by a instructor-verified AI answer or a direct instructor response).
• A message bubble indicates there is an active follow-up discussion.

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Follow-up Discussion

If a question warrants further conversation, the student can add additional comments for clarification in the Follow-up Discussion section located below the AI-generated answer.

Adding a comment opens an “Active Discussion,” which notifies the instructor. The instructor can then close this discussion when they feel the question has been fully resolved.