AI authoring

Cirrus Assist: a smarter way to build item banks

Time is precious, and we’re making sure you get more of it back. Cirrus introduces Cirrus Assist as a faster, smarter way to build your item banks.

Cirrus Assist, integrated into the sidepanel of question creation, is designed to assist authors in creating, updating, and improving assessment questions. Additionally, Cirrus Assist includes general chat functionality for unrestricted interactions.

Features and Functionality

1. General Chat

● Provides an open chat interface
● No rules or restrictions
● You can have natural conversations or explore ideas freely

2. Create Question from Scratch

This feature uses guided prompts to generate questions tailored to user specifications. Below is a detailed breakdown of its functionality.

2.1 Guided Prompts

The AI will guide you through the following prompts:

General Prompts (for all question types)

1. What is the specific topic or subject area for which you want to generate a question?
2. How challenging should this question be?
3. Are there any specific details or constraints to include?
4. Should the question be set within a particular context or scenario?
5. What instructions or guidelines should be given to ensure clarity?

Additional Prompts (for Essay Questions only)

1. What is the desired format of the student’s answer?
2. How should marks be allocated for different parts of the question?
3. What are the key points or model answers for the question?

2.2 Selectable Output

After responding to prompts, you will see a “Select All” section where the following options are available for selection:

- Title
- Question
- Choices
○ 4 options for Multiple Choice
○ 4 options for Multiple Response
○ 2 options for Either/Or
- Topic
- Difficulty (Angoff scale from 0 to 1)
- Feedback on alternatives (if enabled)
- Feedback on the question itself

Additional Notes
● Prompts are tailored based on the question type
● Essay questions include three additional prompts

3. Organise from Raw Text

This feature enables authors to create questions using a single prompt. While less accurate than the “Create Question from Scratch” feature, it offers a faster alternative for generating questions.

Reset Functionality
The circular arrow at the top-right corner of the Cirrus Assist sidebar resets the chat, returning users to the start page.

Source for the AI
By default, Cirrus Assist uses ChatGPT’s web search (version 4)

Simple User Workflow: An Example

1. Access Cirrus Assist: Open the sidepanel to initiate the AI.
2. Choose Functionality: Select either “General Chat,” “Create Question from Scratch,” or “Organize from Raw Text.”
3. Follow Prompts: Respond to the guided prompts (if creating a question).
4. Select Outputs: Review AI-generated options and select preferred content.
5. Confirm Selection: Click “Confirm” to populate the question editor.

Optional adjustments
Attach files or use the microphone for more specific interactions.

Reset if needed
Use the reset icon to start over if necessary.

Using Cirrus Assist via API

To enable Cirrus Assist, clients will need to provide their own OpenAI API key. You can create an API key via https://platform.openai.com/, where pricing is also explained under the “Pricing” tab.

This model operates on a pay-as-you-go basis. There is no monthly subscription required unless you choose to subscribe to a plan such as ChatGPT Plus (which applies to chat, not API usage). The API charges based on tokens, which include both input and output.

Data and Privacy

When using OpenAI’s API, your data is not used for training unless you explicitly opt in. You can read more on Open AI's data usage policies here .

By default, OpenAI retains API data for 30 days to monitor for abuse or misuse. However, organisations can request zero data retention if required.

Before you proceed: AI has limitations

We would like to highlight that the accuracy of responses may vary based on the complexity and specificity of prompts.

● The “Organise from Raw Text” feature provides faster, but potentially less precise outputs compared to the “Create Question from Scratch” option.
● For essay questions, you must input detailed information about desired formats, marking schemes, and model answers to maximize output quality.