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Managing Sample Problems

Creating sample problems in this application is a straightforward process, whether you’re starting from scratch or using AI to generate content. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to create problems users can answer with the help of the AI To begin, navigate to the problem creation interface. You have two options, using AI exclusively in the New Problem (AI) screen, or working alongside the AI in the Write Problem screen

On this page you will see a sidebar with dropdown menus to categorize your problem.

  • Select a Course: Choose the relevant subject (e.g., “Calculus I”).
  • Select a Topic: Refine the category by choosing a specific sub-topic (e.g., “Derivatives” or “Techniques for Integration”).

You have two ways to populate the Problem Title and Problem Text fields:

  • Manual Entry. Simply type your title and the full text of the problem into the respective text boxes.
  • AI Generation. Click the Magic Wand icon (Generate) located next to the text fields. The AI will automatically draft a relevant title and a detailed word problem based on your selected topic. You can edit this text at any time to better fit your specific needs.

Once the problem is defined, you need to provide a solution overview and a step-by-step breakdown.

  • Solution Overview
    • Manual: Write a brief summary of the approach used to solve the problem.
    • AI: Click the Magic Wand icon to have the AI generate a high-level overview of the mathematical concepts required.
  • Step-by-Step Breakdown
    • Click the “Create step-by-step solution” button. This will populate a series of numbered tasks:
      • Task: The specific action for that step (e.g., “Rewrite the equation”).
      • Details: The mathematical logic or steps taken.
      • Result: The specific formula or value derived in that step.
    • Tip: If you need to add more detail, click “Add Step” at the bottom of the list.

The application uses LaTeX for clear mathematical rendering. To ensure everything looks correct:

  • Click the Preview button at the bottom of the screen.
  • A pop-up window will appear showing the problem exactly as the student will see it, with all formulas properly formatted (e.g., f′(x)=5cos(2x+6π​)⋅2).
  • Check for any missing variables or formatting errors.

Once you are satisfied with the problem:

  • Save: Click “Save Problem.”
  • Manage: After saving, you will see the problem in your list. You can:
    • Edit: Re-open the form to make changes.
    • Activate/Deactivate: Toggle whether the problem is currently visible or “live” for users.
    • Delete: Remove the problem entirely if it is no longer needed.

The generate problem screen allows the AI to handle the process end-to-end. To generate a new problem, begin by selecting the course for the problem. Then, enter a description of the problem. The AI will use this description to create a problem and step-by-step solution. When ready, it will appear on the right of the screen.

The Problem Bank allows you to view and manage the sample problems in your course.

The main dashboard displays a list of mathematical problems. You can navigate through them using:

  • The Problem List: Click on any problem title (e.g., Indefinite Integral of a Polynomial Function) to expand its details.
  • Pagination: Use the Previous and Next buttons at the bottom of the list to browse through different pages of content.
  • Filtering: Use the dropdown menus on the left sidebar to filter problems by Topic (e.g., Derivatives, Integration, Functions).

Problems can be edited directly in the Problem Bank. To edit a field, double-click on the value shown. This will open a text box showing the LaTeX-formatted text for this section. When you are done your edits, click Save.

At the bottom of the problem card you will see four buttons:

  • Delete: Removes the problem from the course
  • Deactivate: Disables the problem, preventing it from appearing to learners
  • Make Dynamic Version: Creates a version of the problem where key input values and randomly sampled. Does not affect the current version.
  • Save: Saves any changes made to this problem.

When a problem is selected, you can view and edit the “Dynamic Variables” that define the problem’s range. The variable table shows the variable name, its minimum and maximum values, and the unit (e.g., radians). When the problem is displayed to a user, each of these values will be sampled uniformly from this range. You can adjust these ranges to change the difficulty or variety of the generated problems, and to ensure the result problems are valid.

Before a problem goes live, you should ensure the logic is correct.

  • Scroll to the bottom to see the Python-based logic (e.g., def problem_code) used to calculate the answers.
  • Click the Test button to generate a sample problem based on your current variables. A pop-up will show the generated question and the correct answer. If the code does not run successfully, it will automatically disable the problem and provide you an error message.