Table of contents
Introduction
The UMD Virtual Study Assistant is now a part of ELMS-Canvas! This GenAI-powered chatbot is here to help you 24/7 with your course, whether you're confused about a reading, unsure how homework is graded, or want a quick summary of lecture material. Whether studying late at night or prepping for a quiz, Virtual Study Assistant is always ready to support your learning:
- Ask course-related questions at any time
- Get expert explanations on concepts and assignments
- Check grading policies and exam weights
- Generate practice questions to reinforce learning
Access the Virtual Study Assistant
Once your instructor has set up the Virtual Study Assistant for your class, you can start using it immediately. Click the Virtual Study Assistant button in the sidebar menu to get started.
This will take you to the Virtual Study Assistant screen. At the top of the page, you'll see some background information and instructions to help you get started. Below that, look for the title bar labeled Virtual Study Assistant to find the chatbot interface.
Has it been set up?
If Virtual Study Assistant has not been set up for your course, then you'll see the following:
If Virtual Study Assistant has been set up, you'll see a greeting message.
What is it?
This Study Assistant is a custom-built AI assistant created by the Division of Information Technology (DIT) at the University of Maryland. Unlike other AI tools, this assistant is directly connected to your course in Canvas and is trained using your actual class materials, such as the syllabus, assignments, announcements, and more.
Why it's different
- Course-specific: It only answers questions about this course, no off-topic or generic responses.
- Always up to date: It uses the actual files and resources your instructor uploaded to Canvas.
- Trained with real course content: It refreshes regularly to include new material posted to Canvas.
- Available inside Canvas: No need to switch tabs, just open it from your course page.
How to use it
- Ask Questions: Do you need help understanding an assignment, due date, or class policy? Just ask!
- Stay on Track: Use it to clarify deadlines, find lecture notes, or summarize announcements.
- Save Time: Skip digging through Canvas, get fast, direct answers based on official course content.
As you scroll down, you'll see the full Virtual Study Assistant chatbot view. If you've used GenAI tools before, the layout will feel familiar. You'll be greeted with a personalized message (for example, "Hello, [Your Name]"). You can type your questions or prompts in the chat, and the assistant will respond. If you want a bigger view, click the Open Study Assistant in New Window button.
Interact with the Virtual Study Assistant
The Virtual Study Assistant is easy to use and greets you by name. Below the welcome message, you'll find a text box where you can type in your questions, also known as prompts.
To get started:
- Ask a question: Type any question or prompt. For example, you can ask about the syllabus or anything you want explained from the course.
- Send your prompt: Hit Enter or select the paper airplane icon to send your question.
- Read the response: The Virtual Study Assistant will respond in the chat.
- Ask follow-ups: If you need more info or clarification, just ask! The Virtual Study Assistant can keep the conversation going as long as you need.
- Try suggested questions: Not sure where to start? Some courses offer Suggested Questions. If available for the course, select the red question mark icon above paper airplane enter button to open a list of ideas.
- Use your arrow keys to scroll, press Enter to pick a question, or use your mouse to select. To close the list, select the Close button.
Personalize your experience
You'll find several settings in the top-right corner:
- Language (EN/ES): Choose English or Spanish. You can also type in many other languages, and the assistant will reply in the same language.
- Dark/Light Mode: Click the 🌙 or ☀️ icon to switch between dark and light mode.
- Resize: Click the diagonal arrows to make the chat bigger or smaller.
Full screen or embedded mode
When you use the Virtual Study Assistant inside ELMS-Canvas, you're in embedded mode. You can create a bigger workspace by selecting the button above the chat to open it in a new window. You can also minimize or resize the window, this is helpful for phone or tablet users. If you want more room to chat with the Virtual Study Assistant, select the button that shows up after the intro message and just above the chat interface.
That'll open Virtual Study Assistant in a new window. You can set it up to full-screen using your browser. You can minimize the screen by selecting the double arrow icon in the top right.
How conversations work
Unlike a search engine, the Virtual Study Assistant remembers your earlier questions, at least while you keep the window open. For example, if you ask, "Tell me about the French Revolution" and then follow up with, "Who were the key figures?" the assistant contextually knows you're still talking about the French Revolution. If you close or refresh the page, the conversation resets.
Feedback and sources
Here's how you can share your feedback on each answer by using the buttons found under the given answer:
What each icon does
- Thumbs up: Liked the answer? Tap
- Thumbs down: Didn’t get what you needed? Tap
and tell us why, so we can improve.
- Copy: Tap
to copy any answer for your notes or to share.
Citations
Most answers include citations from your course materials. These provide helpful links to documents or websites for you to explore. These citations can be found as hyperlinks underneath the answers and thumbs-down and thumbs-up buttons. Some sources may include Panopto or Zoom videos, and the link will direct you to the relevant part of the video.
Take a quiz
Some Virtual Study Assistants can quiz you on course topics:
- Start a quiz: Type something like, start a quiz about marketing or I want to take a quiz about civil engineering. The assistant needs to have information on the topic to create the quiz.
- Answer questions: Pick your answer from multiple-choice options.
- Get feedback: You'll instantly see if you got it right, along with explanations and sources.
- Finish up: Finish all the questions to complete the quiz.
Tips for getting the most out of the Virtual Study Assistant
- Clear, concise questions formed in complete sentences get better answers.
- Ask follow-up questions and dig deeper into any topic you don't understand.
- Explore your options, try out quizzes, suggested questions, or ask about any course topic.
Troubleshooting
If you encounter any issues while using the Virtual Study Assistant, or if something isn't working:
- Try refreshing the page
- Check your internet connection
If you need more help, email the DIT AI solutions team: dit-ais@umd.edu.