Welcome to our Nectir AI Feedback Sessions archive!
Here you’ll find recordings, resources, and key takeaways from all our monthly community feedback sessions. These sessions capture valuable discussions, feature explorations, and collaborative insights from our Nectir AI community.
May 2025 Feedback Session
Date: May 14, 2025
Topic Focus: Reflecting on the past year of AI adoption in the classroom and gathering input on onboarding and enablement strategies to support deeper, more confident use of AI tools by both instructors and students.
Recording
Resources Shared:
Key Takeaways:
Discussion Highlights:
Action Items:
One thing I would emphasize is that both students and instructors have a wide range of AI familiarity. In any class, I will have some students who use AI regularly, and others who have never touched it. The same could be said for any group of instructors as well. This group of early adopters probably have an above average AI knowledge; I would expect that average to go down as Nectir gets more widely adopted.
Join us for our June Feedback Session! We’ll look back on the highlights from the past year, celebrate our progress, and explore new possibilities together.
Topics:
Don’t miss this opportunity to share your ideas and help shape the future of Nectir!
June 2025 Feedback Session
Date: June 24, 2025
Topic Focus: Exploring creative uses of Nectir AI beyond traditional Q&A, celebrating one year of Nectir AI with comprehensive usage data, and discussing innovative applications including instructional support, role-play scenarios, guided problem-solving, AI literacy projects, and student-created assistants.
Recording
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July 2025 Feedback Session
Date: July 29, 2025
Topic Focus: Three-stage implementation framework for Nectir AI adoption (Introduce, Integrate, Evolve), comprehensive resource library for the 2025 school year, and community sharing of successful introduction strategies and responsible AI use practices.
Resources Shared:
Key Takeaways:
Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z2SIA9-apc Discussion Highlights:
Action Items:
Date: August 2025
Topic Focus: Product updates, prioritized feedback on student adoption barriers, and collaborative brainstorming to enhance onboarding and retention.
RecordingIf you need the recording or a resource shared during the session, please contact support@nectir.io.
Resources & Announcements:
New Feature:
Workspace Prompts: Workspace owners can now set a global prompt/instruction across all Assistants for greater consistency.
Prompt Library Redesign: Visual updates and new ready-to-use templates; educators can request new prompt templates for their use case.
Undo/Redo Buttons: Added to prompt editing for easier prompt version management.
Bulk Member Management: Multi-select in members list allows batch permission updates or removals, simplifying start-of-term setup.
Coming Soon:
Customizable Email Invitations: Personalize messaging when inviting students, making onboarding more clear and welcoming.
Queue Manager for File Uploads: Visual manager to track bulk uploads and flag errors/processing status.
Key Takeaways:
Student Onboarding & Retention:
Two critical moments identified:
Onboarding: From invitation to first message.
Retention: Returning to use Nectir as part of their regular academic workflow.
Group Voting Identified Top Barriers:
Lack of clear onboarding steps and guidance.
Students don’t fully understand assistant capabilities or appropriate ways to interact.
Value proposition vs. other AI tools not clearly communicated.
Instructors need more training/support to guide students.
Retention-Specific Challenges:
Students lack guidance on maximizing the tool’s potential.
Motivation to integrate Nectir into daily routines is low if perceived as “extra work.”
Overwhelmed by too many AI options; clear benefits must be articulated.
Best Practices & Suggestions Shared:
Use specific conversation starters, sample use cases, and starter prompts within Assistants and as part of onboarding.
Embed Nectir into classroom instruction and assignment design so it becomes a seamless part of coursework—not just “one more thing.”
Communicate FERPA/privacy advantages and show how class-specific Nectir Assistants are safer and more targeted than generic consumer tools.
Consider short use-case demos and student-created tips to increase relevance and buy-in.
Consider the burden placed on students to report their AI usage and look for ways to reduce this friction.
Discussion Highlights:
Bulk upload model improvements and error tracking—now more robust and user-friendly.
Guidance on AI model temperature: “creativity knob” should stay lower for information recall/precision tasks and can be higher for creative/brainstorming activities.
Sharing of user-driven solutions, e.g., requiring interactions with Nectir as a lab component or incorporating prompt-generated citation features.
Honest acknowledgment that the onboarding experience is often too information-dense in the first week(s) of the term.
Need to build more support for instructors to integrate Nectir into live classroom scenarios and lecture workflows.
Value in leveraging student curiosity and creativity with “live” prompt demonstrations and open discussions.
Action Items & Next Steps:
Product & Success Team:
Prioritize building more guided onboarding and contextual help onboarding steps.
Develop more clear communication materials on what Nectir can do (capabilities, privacy, value).
Work on demo/starter use case videos and student tips.
Solicit more template requests and feedback from the educator community—reach out to Chloe (chloe.lam@nectir.io) with needs.
September 2025 Monthly Session
Date: September 30, 2025
Topic Focus: Nectir in Action — User Spotlights on classroom implementation, practical teaching strategies for onboarding and regular usage, new enhancements for document handling, personalized invitations, and usage tracking.
Resources Shared:
New Help Article Links on in-chat file uploads, email invite customization, and PDF export
Community Forum thread for ongoing discussion and resource sharing
Key Takeaways:
Feature Announcements:
New support for uploading text, HTML, and code files for feedback, debugging, and advanced prompting
Ability to personalize email invitations for new and existing users, either manually or via LMS roster sync (soon)
PDF chat export now includes interaction timestamps for improved documentation and analysis
Spotlight Presentations:
Three educators shared detailed approaches for integrating Nectir, including Canvas embedded assignments, use of course-specific assistants, and pre-class AI orientation for students uncertain about AI’s role
Examples of AI used in business management, math for liberal arts, and information resources courses
Assignments often included prompt practice, knowledge base uploads (course syllabi, handouts, OER), student reflection on AI use, and peer forums for critical thinking
Student Experience Themes:
Initial hesitancy around AI and “cheating” addressed with clear communication, policy modeling, and guided practice
Reassurance strategies included pre-class emails, modeling, office hours, and in-assignment tutorials
Reflection and persistent access encouraged familiarity; regular reminders and peer sharing promoted sustained use
Discussion Highlights:
Student resistance and misconceptions about AI use (especially fears around cheating) can be mitigated with intentional onboarding, modeling, and a supportive policy
Custom assistants and “conversation starters” help clarify use cases and spark engagement, but long-term memory between sessions remains a requested feature
Faculty panelists stressed flexible assignment design for students who opt out of AI for philosophical reasons
Peer-to-peer discussion forums and ongoing instructor encouragement yield higher comfort and usage rates
Faculty adoption and training are crucial: ongoing PD, clear value demonstrations, and shared best practices increase campus buy-in
Action Items:
Educators are invited to download and adapt shared onboarding and assignment templates, and continue exchanging ideas in the Community Forum
Explore new file upload and invite customization features for courses with variable start dates and diverse user needs
Consider ways to integrate Nectir use into regular course routines—with “touch points” in key assignments and reflections
October 2025 Monthly Session
Date: October 30, 2025
Topic Focus: New features—including the launch of Web Search—live classroom spotlights from Rio Hondo College, and discipline-focused breakout rooms for practical implementation strategies.
Resources Shared:
October Monthly Session Slides
In-depth help articles on advanced features, web search setup, early access (beta) options, and roster sync improvements
User Spotlight Interest Form - Please let us know if you would be open to sharing your implementation with the Nectir educator community! We would love to have you.
Key Takeaways:
Major Announcements & Feature Releases
Web Search (Beta):
Assistants can now pull real-time info from the web—giving access to news, research, and up-to-date statistics alongside course materials. Web search is a per-assistant setting and must be enabled as an early access feature.
LMS Role Mapping:
Permissions now follow the user’s actual course-level role in the LMS, simplifying access and reducing confusion.
Roster Sync Improvements:
Unlink LMS courses to bulk-remove access, re-link groups to new terms without recreating assistants, and send custom roster sync emails.
Sources Feature:
Now out of beta and available to all—shows exactly which files are referenced in AI responses for transparency.
User Spotlights: Rio Hondo College
Libby Curiel (Speech/Comm):
Shared best practices for prompting, transparent chat assignment documentation, and observed the need for student AI literacy and policy.
Kenn PiersonGeiger (English/PokerBot Collective):
Walked through the evolution of prompt design and using multi-step scaffolding for deeper literary analysis aligned to POCR rubrics.
Jose Millan (Drafting/Design Thinking):
Leveraged Nectar AI for student-generated research, role-play, and design interviews—sparked new avenues for authentic learning.
Themes Across Presenters:
Both instructors and students encounter an AI learning curve—prompting matters, policies help, and clear feedback improves outcomes.
Value in using AI for formative self-checks, in-depth exploration, scenario-based learning, and critical reflection.
Discussion Highlights:
Breakout rooms by discipline gave participants space for peer strategy sharing and troubleshooting.
Community discussion on the challenge of onboarding (for both students and faculty), communicating the purpose of AI, and designing support resources for scalable adoption.
Calls for clearer in-platform guidance, onboarding modules, and best practice templates for both prompt creation and student activities.
Action Items:
January 26, 2026 Community Roundtable
Date: January 27, 2026
Topic Focus: Product updates, roadmap visibility, and open discussion on how educators are using Nectir AI today, what’s working, and what support they need next to drive confident, human-centered AI adoption in the classroom.
Recording Link
Resources SharedJanuary 2026 Community Roundtable slides
Faculty Quick Start Guide with checklists, student-ready announcements, FAQs, and shareable resources
Upcoming workshops and events sponsored by Nectir partners
Key TakeawaysVisibility into AI reasoning helps build trust and supports teaching critical thinking, not just answers.
Seamless LMS integration, especially through Canvas APIs and LTI setup, reduces friction and makes AI easier to use consistently.
Faculty appreciate ready-to-use enablement materials they can quickly share with students without extra prep work.
Discussion HighlightsParticipants showed interest in interactive quizzes as a way to increase active learning and formative assessment.
Questions and ideas surfaced around onboarding faculty efficiently while still supporting diverse comfort levels with AI.
Several attendees expressed interest in sharing their experiences through user spotlights, webinars, and future events.
Action ItemsFaculty are encouraged to explore the* Faculty Quick Start Guide to accelerate adoption in upcoming terms.
Educators interested in Canvas integrations or LTI setup can reach out to support@nectir.io for help.
Attendees are invited to participate in User Spotlights to share real-world AI teaching practices with the community.
March 23, 2026 Community Roundtable
Date: March 23, 2026
Topic Focus: How educators at Los Angeles Pacific University are using AI roleplay, assignment design rating, and AI-assisted grading to transform student learning and faculty workflows.
Recording Link located here.
Welcome, Lindsey!
We have a new face joining the Nectir team. Lindsey Nicholl is stepping in as a Customer Success Manager, bringing 18 years of higher ed experience and a passion for strategy and creative thinking. Lindsey will be a primary contact for many of you, especially those in the California Community Colleges.
Product Updates
Auto Model Selection is now available in Advanced Settings. New assistants default to Auto, meaning they will always use the best available model without any manual updates on your end. You can still lock in a specific model if you prefer.
Emoji Avatars are now an option for your assistants. If designing a custom avatar isn’t your thing, you can now simply pick an emoji.
Disable Animations toggle is now available in your profile and preferences. If students find the motion distracting, or you prefer a cleaner experience, you can turn it off.
LMS Page Templates for Canvas and Moodle are now available. Drop in the HTML or use the .imscc file to quickly add a student-facing Nectir intro page to your course. It covers what Nectir is, how to access it, and answers common student questions about privacy. Introduce Nectir AI to Your Students - Nectir AI
AI Career Skills Assistant is now in the prompt library. It helps students explore how AI is used in careers they’re pursuing, prep for interviews and internships, and build practical AI skills. Find it at the top of the prompt library under “AI Career Skills Assistant” and add it as-is.
Key Takeaways
Roleplay is one of the most powerful forms of active learning AI can enable. Rhonelee Soria from LAPU walked through how their psychology students practice counseling with a simulated child patient named Miguel, and how criminal justice students practice investigative interviewing with AI-generated suspects. A research study on these approaches found that students using the roleplay assistant showed the biggest GPA improvement, felt more supported, and developed stronger clinical and analytical skills. It is not just about having AI — it is how it is used that drives real outcomes.
Assignment design can be rated, coached, and improved with AI. Callista Dawson shared how LAPU’s learning design team built an assistant to rate assignments for AI resilience, clarity of instruction, and creativity. Upload the assignment doc, CLOs, and rubric as PDFs, and the assistant scores them and offers suggestions. The unexpected benefit: it gave the design team concrete language to bring back to faculty and subject matter experts who had been teaching the same way for years and were resistant to change.
Hybrid AI-assisted grading outperforms AI-only and instructor-only feedback. George Hanshaw demonstrated grading multiple student assignments at once by uploading them into a rubric-aligned assistant. The assistant provides in-text formative feedback, rubric scores, and summative notes. George reviews everything before sharing it. Studies from their team show students actually prefer this hybrid model when instructors are transparent about it. Students feel more heard, not less.
Transparency removes resistance. Whether it is grading with AI assistance or using roleplay in assignments, the through line from every presenter was the same: tell your students what you are doing and why. That honesty consistently led to stronger engagement and better outcomes.
Action Items
Next Roundtable is April 28th at noon.Register here. Times and days rotate on purpose — we want everyone to be able to join at least some of the time.
LAPU is hosting a free AI conference on April 22nd, focused on practical use, not theory. It is open to anyone, so bring your colleagues. Register here.
Working on a prompt, stuck on something, or want to talk through an idea? Reach out at support@nectir.io
If you have something you’re building or doing that you’d want to share in a future roundtable, post it here.
Thank you to Rhonelee Soria, Callista Dawson, and George Hanshaw at Los Angeles Pacific University for sharing work that is genuinely moving the needle. And thank you to everyone who showed up, asked questions, and kept the conversation going. See you on April 28th.