For Educators
Frequently Asked Questions

Educator FAQ

Frequently asked questions from educators using TutorQ.

Getting Started

How do I request educator access?

  1. Sign up at tutorq.ai (opens in a new tab) and create your account
  2. Send an email to support@q3learners.com with:
    • The email address you used for your TutorQ account
    • Your institution name
    • A brief note about how you'd like to use TutorQ

Our team will reach out to you within 24-48 hours to discuss your needs and activate educator access.

Why do educator accounts require approval?

We believe in building personal relationships with educators. The approval process allows us to:

  • Understand your teaching goals and course needs
  • Ensure TutorQ is the right fit for your situation
  • Provide personalized onboarding and support
  • Manage resource-intensive features like material processing

Educator accounts have access to upload course materials, which involves significant processing. We take security and intellectual property seriously—the approval process ensures your data remains secure and your IP stays with you.

How long does educator approval take?

Typically 24-48 hours, often faster. We'll reach out to you personally to discuss your courses and activate your educator access. If you need urgent access, mention it in your email and we'll prioritize your request.

Can I use TutorQ while waiting for educator approval?

Yes! While waiting for educator access, you can explore TutorQ as a student. This is actually a great way to understand the learning experience your students will have. You can:

  • Enroll in sample courses
  • Try the AI tutor
  • Explore the student dashboard
  • Understand the student workflow

Once your educator access is approved, you'll gain additional capabilities to create courses and upload materials.

Is there a cost for educators?

TutorQ is currently in beta and completely free for educators:

  • Create unlimited courses
  • Enroll unlimited students
  • Upload and process course materials
  • Access all analytics and management features
  • No credit card required

We're still finalizing our long-term pricing model. Enjoy free access while we're in beta!

How long does it take to set up a course?

Basic setup: 15-30 minutes

  • Create course: 5 minutes
  • Upload initial materials: 10-20 minutes (plus processing time)
  • Configure settings: 5 minutes

You can refine and add materials over time.

Course Management

What file formats can I upload?

TutorQ supports:

  • PDF (.pdf)
  • Word Documents (.docx)
  • PowerPoint (.pptx)
  • Images (.jpg, .png, .gif)
  • Plain text (.txt, .md)

How large can files be?

Individual files: Up to 100MB

During beta, storage limits are generous to accommodate your course materials. If you need additional storage, contact support@q3learners.com

How long does material processing take?

Processing times:

  • Small files (< 10 pages): 1-2 minutes
  • Medium files (10-50 pages): 2-5 minutes
  • Large files (50-200 pages): 5-15 minutes
  • Very large files (200+ pages): 15-30 minutes

You'll receive a notification when processing completes.

Can I edit materials after uploading?

You can:

  • Replace files with updated versions
  • Delete and re-upload
  • Edit metadata (title, description)

You cannot directly edit the content within TutorQ—edit the source file and re-upload.

Student Management

How do students enroll in my course?

Three methods:

  1. Course Code: Students use the code you provide
  2. Direct Invitation: You invite them by email
  3. LMS Integration: Auto-sync from Canvas/Blackboard/Moodle

Can I limit enrollment?

Yes! You can:

  • Set maximum enrollment
  • Require approval for enrollment
  • Make course invitation-only
  • Close enrollment after a date

Configure in Course Settings → Enrollment

What student data can I see?

You can see:

  • Engagement metrics (usage, frequency)
  • Concept mastery levels
  • Study time and patterns
  • General topics studied

You cannot see:

  • Specific questions asked (unless students share)
  • Full chat transcripts (unless students grant access)

This protects student privacy while giving you useful insights.

Can I message students through TutorQ?

Yes! You can:

  • Send course-wide announcements
  • Message specific students
  • Message groups or sections
  • Schedule messages for later

Students receive messages in-app and optionally via email.

AI Tutor Behavior

How does the AI know what to teach?

The AI learns from:

  1. Your uploaded course materials
  2. Course structure and learning objectives
  3. Your syllabus and assignments

It only uses information you provide—it doesn't make up content.

What if the AI gives wrong information?

TutorQ has built-in quality assurance:

  • Every response is automatically evaluated for accuracy and teaching quality
  • Low-quality responses are automatically regenerated
  • You can report issues to improve the system

If you notice errors, click "Report Issue" or email support@q3learners.com

Can I control how the AI teaches?

The AI tutor is designed to provide personalized, pedagogically-sound tutoring based on your course materials. It automatically:

  • Stays focused on your uploaded course content
  • Uses Socratic questioning to guide student learning
  • Adapts its explanation depth based on student comprehension
  • Encourages students to think through problems rather than just providing answers

The AI behavior is optimized for effective learning out of the box. If you have specific customization needs for your institution, contact us at support@q3learners.com

Will the AI just give students answers?

No. TutorQ is designed for learning, not cheating:

  • Guides students through problems with questions
  • Asks students to try before providing solutions
  • Encourages understanding over memorization
  • Flags when students are just seeking answers

Analytics and Reporting

How often is analytics data updated?

Real-time for:

  • Active sessions
  • Current engagement

Hourly updates for:

  • Mastery levels
  • Aggregated metrics

Daily updates for:

  • Predictive analytics
  • At-risk identification

Can I export student data?

Yes! Export formats:

  • CSV (for Excel/analysis)
  • PDF (for printing/sharing)
  • JSON (for custom processing)

You can export:

  • Roster and contact info
  • Engagement metrics
  • Mastery levels
  • Usage statistics

Is student data FERPA compliant?

Yes. TutorQ is fully FERPA compliant:

  • Student data is encrypted
  • Only authorized instructors can access
  • Students can request data deletion
  • Audit logs track all data access

See our Privacy Policy (opens in a new tab) for details.

Data Security and Intellectual Property

Who owns the course materials I upload?

You do. You retain complete ownership of all course materials you upload to TutorQ. We do not claim any rights to your content. Your textbooks, lecture slides, assignments, and all other materials remain your intellectual property.

How is my course content protected?

We take security seriously:

  • Encryption: All materials are encrypted both in transit (HTTPS) and at rest (AES-256)
  • Access Control: Only you and your enrolled students can access your course materials
  • Secure Processing: Material processing happens in isolated, secure environments
  • No Sharing: Your materials are never shared with other courses, educators, or third parties
  • Regular Audits: Security audits and penetration testing are conducted regularly

Can TutorQ use my materials to train AI models?

No. Your course materials are used only to provide tutoring services to your enrolled students. We do not use your materials to:

  • Train general AI models
  • Improve services for other educators
  • Share with third parties
  • Create derivative works

Your content is strictly used for your course's AI tutor and nothing else.

What happens to my materials if I delete my course?

When you delete a course:

  • All uploaded materials are permanently deleted from our servers within 30 days
  • Processed data and knowledge graphs are completely removed
  • Student chat histories related to that course are anonymized or deleted (based on your preference)
  • Backups are purged according to our retention policy

You can also request immediate deletion by contacting support@q3learners.com

Can I download my materials and data?

Yes! You can export:

  • All original uploaded files (in their original format)
  • Processed content and metadata
  • Knowledge graphs and concept maps
  • Student analytics and usage data
  • Complete course backup

Go to Course Settings → Export to download everything.

Is TutorQ compliant with data protection regulations?

Yes. TutorQ is compliant with:

  • FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
  • GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) for EU users
  • COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)
  • SOC 2 Type II (coming soon—in certification process)

We work with educational institutions and understand the importance of compliance.

What about proprietary or copyrighted textbooks?

You should only upload materials you have the right to use for educational purposes. This typically includes:

  • Materials you created yourself
  • Licensed textbooks purchased by your institution
  • Open educational resources (OER)
  • Materials with appropriate fair use justification

If you have questions about specific materials, consult your institution's legal or library staff. We respect copyright and encourage responsible use.

How do you prevent unauthorized access to my course materials?

Multiple layers of protection:

  • Authentication: Strong password requirements, optional 2FA
  • Authorization: Role-based access control (only enrolled students see materials)
  • Monitoring: Audit logs track all access to materials
  • Alerts: Suspicious activity triggers automatic alerts
  • Rate Limiting: Prevents bulk downloading or scraping
  • Watermarking: Optional for sensitive materials

Technical Issues

Students say they can't access my course

Common causes:

  • Not enrolled (check roster)
  • Wrong course code entered
  • Email verification pending
  • Account issues

Solution: Verify enrollment, have student check email, or manually add them.

Materials aren't processing

Check:

  • File isn't password-protected
  • File size is under 100MB
  • File format is supported
  • Your storage quota isn't exceeded

If issues persist after 30 minutes, contact support.

AI responses seem off-topic

Possible reasons:

  • Materials haven't finished processing
  • Course structure needs clarification
  • Student asking out-of-scope questions

Solution: Review course materials, adjust AI settings, or provide additional context documents.

Pedagogy and Ethics

Is using AI tutors considered cheating?

No, when used appropriately. TutorQ is a learning tool, like textbooks or study groups. However:

  • Set clear policies in your syllabus
  • Distinguish between learning and assessment use
  • Prohibit use during exams (unless open-book)
  • Encourage understanding over answer-getting

Should I worry about students becoming dependent on AI?

Balance is key:

  • Encourage self-attempts before asking AI
  • Design assignments requiring critical thinking
  • Use in-class activities for complex concepts
  • Monitor analytics for over-reliance patterns

TutorQ is a supplement, not a replacement for learning effort.

How do I prevent academic dishonesty?

Strategies:

  • Clear syllabus policies
  • Assignments requiring original thought
  • In-class assessments
  • Process-focused assignments (show your work)
  • Use turnitin or plagiarism detection

TutorQ helps with learning; students still need to demonstrate mastery independently.

Beta Access

How long will the beta last?

TutorQ is currently in beta as we refine the platform based on educator and student feedback. We haven't set an end date for the beta period yet.

All beta users will be notified well in advance of any changes to pricing or features.

What happens after beta?

We're still finalizing our long-term pricing model. Rest assured:

  • We'll notify you well in advance of any pricing changes
  • Your course data and materials will be preserved
  • We're committed to keeping TutorQ accessible to educators and students

Can my institution get early access for multiple educators?

Yes! If your institution is interested in wider adoption, contact us at support@q3learners.com. We're happy to work with educational institutions to provide beta access for multiple faculty members.

Integration

Does TutorQ integrate with my LMS?

Yes! Current integrations:

  • Canvas
  • Blackboard
  • Moodle
  • Google Classroom
  • Schoology

Features:

  • Auto-sync student enrollments
  • Grade passback (if using TutorQ assessments)
  • Single sign-on (SSO)

Set up: Course Settings → Integrations

Can I embed TutorQ in my course website?

Yes! You can:

  • Embed chat widget on your site
  • Link to your TutorQ course
  • Use iframe integration

Get embed code: Course Settings → Embed

Is there an API for custom integrations?

Yes! Developer API is available for:

  • Automated material upload
  • Data export
  • Custom analytics
  • Student management

API documentation: Contact support@q3learners.com for access

Professional Development

Where can I learn more about using TutorQ effectively?

Resources:

  • Documentation: You're reading it!
  • Webinars: Contact us for upcoming sessions
  • Community Forums: Coming soon
  • Office Hours: Tuesdays 2-4pm EST

Can I collaborate with other educators?

Yes! Join the TutorQ Educator Community (coming soon):

  • Share materials (with permission)
  • Discuss strategies
  • Co-develop courses
  • Participate in research

Email support@q3learners.com to express interest

Can I contribute to TutorQ development?

We welcome contributions:

  • Feature suggestions
  • Bug reports
  • Research collaborations
  • Case studies and testimonials

Contact us: feedback@q3learners.com

Still Have Questions?

For Technical Support:

  • Email: support@q3learners.com
  • Response time: Within 24 hours
  • All beta users receive the same support priority

For Pedagogical Guidance:

For Sales and Institutional Inquiries:

Community:

We're here to help you succeed! 🎓

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