Uploading Course Materials

Best practices for preparing and uploading course materials to maximize AI tutor effectiveness.

Supported File Formats

TutorQ can process:

PDF (.pdf) - Textbooks, slides, handouts
Word Documents (.docx)
PowerPoint (.pptx)
Images (.jpg, .png) - Diagrams, charts
Plain Text (.txt, .md)

Preparing Materials

PDF Documents

Best Quality:

Text-based PDFs (searchable text)
Clear, high-resolution images
Well-structured with headings
Proper chapter/section markers

What to Avoid:

Scanned PDFs with poor image quality
Handwritten notes (hard to process)
Complex multi-column layouts without clear structure
Password-protected files

PowerPoint Presentations

Include speaker notes (AI reads these!)
Use clear, readable fonts
Add alt text to images
Keep animations simple (exported as static)

Word Documents

Use heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2)
Include a table of contents for long documents
Embed or link to supplementary resources

Upload Process

Single File Upload

Navigate to your course
Click Upload Materials
Select file or drag-and-drop
Choose associated topic/module (optional)
Add description (helps AI provide context)
Click Upload

Bulk Upload

For multiple files:

Select multiple files (Shift+Click or Cmd+Click)
Upload all at once
Files process in parallel
You'll receive notification when complete

Processing Time

File Type	Typical Processing Time
Small PDF (< 10 pages)	1-2 minutes
Large PDF (100+ pages)	5-10 minutes
PowerPoint	2-3 minutes
Word Document	1-2 minutes
Images	< 1 minute

You'll see real-time processing status.

Organizing Materials

Folder Structure

Organize materials into logical groups:

📚 Course: Biology 101

  📂 Syllabus and Overview
     - Course_Syllabus.pdf
     - Learning_Objectives.pdf

  📂 Week 1: Cell Structure
     - Chapter_1_Textbook.pdf
     - Week1_Lecture_Slides.pptx
     - Cell_Diagram.png

  📂 Week 2: Cell Function
     - Chapter_2_Textbook.pdf
     - Week2_Lecture_Slides.pptx

Naming Conventions

Use clear, descriptive filenames:

✅ Good:

Week1_Introduction_to_Cells.pdf
Chapter3_Photosynthesis.pdf
Midterm_Study_Guide.pdf

❌ Avoid:

lecture1.pdf
slides_v2_final_FINAL.pptx
scan001.pdf

Metadata

For each file, you can add:

Title: Display name (auto-generated from filename)
Description: Brief overview of content
Topic/Module: Association with course structure

Best Practices by File Type

Textbook Chapters

Upload strategy:

Upload chapter-by-chapter (better organization)
Or full textbook if < 500 pages
Include table of contents and index

Pro Tip: Upload the syllabus first, then textbook chapters. This helps the AI understand your course sequence.

Lecture Slides

Upload after each lecture (keeps content current)
Include any handouts or supplementary notes
Add speaker notes to provide context

Problem Sets and Solutions

When uploading problem sets and solutions:

Upload problem sets for students to reference
Be mindful about uploading solutions - the AI will have access to them when helping students
Consider uploading solutions after assignment deadlines
You can always add materials later in the semester

Supplementary Materials

Research papers
Case studies
Videos (upload transcripts)
Lab manuals

Tag these as "Supplementary" so AI knows they're optional context.

Content Extraction

What TutorQ Extracts

From your materials, TutorQ identifies:

Key Concepts: Terms, definitions, theories
Relationships: How concepts connect
Examples: Specific instances of concepts
Formulas: Mathematical expressions
Diagrams: Visual representations (OCR'd and described)

Knowledge Graph Generation

After processing, TutorQ builds a knowledge graph:

Nodes = Concepts
Edges = Relationships
Enables context-aware tutoring

View your knowledge graph: Course → Knowledge Graph Visualization

Updating Materials

Replacing Files

To update an existing file:

Find the file in Course Materials
Click Replace
Upload new version
Knowledge graph updates automatically

Students see "Updated" badge on material.

Versioning

TutorQ keeps:

Current version (active)
Previous versions (archived)
Change history

Access old versions: File → Version History

Privacy and Access Control

File Access

All materials you upload are:

Accessible only to students enrolled in your course
Protected by encryption and secure access controls
Used exclusively for your course's AI tutor
Never shared with other courses or educators

You can export your materials anytime by contacting support@q3learners.com

Troubleshooting

"File processing failed"

Common causes:

File is corrupted or password-protected
PDF is an image scan with very poor quality
File size exceeds 100MB limit

Solution: Try re-uploading or converting to a different format.

"AI isn't using my materials"

Check:

File processing completed (green checkmark)?
Material is associated with correct course?
Try asking the AI a specific question about the uploaded content

"Processing takes too long"

Large files (>50MB) can take 10-15 minutes. If longer:

Check file size and try splitting into smaller parts
Ensure stable internet connection
Contact support if stuck > 30 minutes

Advanced Features

Batch Metadata Editing

Edit multiple files at once:

Select files (checkboxes)
Actions → Edit Metadata
Change properties for all selected files

Import from Google Drive / OneDrive

Connect your cloud storage:

Course Materials → Import from Cloud
Authorize account
Select files to sync
Auto-sync keeps materials updated

API Upload (for tech-savvy educators)

Programmatic upload will be available soon. Example:

curl -X POST https://api.tutorq.ai/v1/materials \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -F "file=@lecture.pdf" \
  -F "course_id=your_course_id"

Contact support@q3learners.com for API access

Next Steps

Creating Courses - Set up your course
Student Analytics - Track material usage
Best Practices - Proven strategies

Questions? Email support@q3learners.com

Creating Courses Managing Students