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.
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
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Community Forum (this website) for sharing prompts, reflections, and AI teaching use cases
LMS Embed was mentioned as a way to increase adoption by making Nectir accessible inside the LMS; attendees were encouraged to reach out to (support@nectir.io) for setup.
Key Takeaways:
Onboarding should support a range of readiness levels — not just different roles, but different mindsets and starting points
There’s strong interest in student-created assistants as a learning tool
Instructors want lightweight, visual, and modular enablement resources for themselves and students
Including sources in AI assistant responses helps reinforce transparency, but should be distinguished clearly from formal citations
Discussion Highlights:
A reflective prompt on “what people need before they use AI” sparked conversation around foundational understanding, prompting skills, and trust
One participant emphasized that onboarding shouldn’t assume everyone fits into “faculty” or “student” roles — instead, design for various comfort levels
Attendees shared examples of using assistants for student reflection and engagement
Questions were raised about permissions — particularly how students access or download AI-generated sources
Action Items:
The Nectir team will continue developing an onboarding and enablement system that supports varying levels of AI familiarity and comfort
Attendees interested in embedding Nectir in their LMS were invited to follow up: support@nectir.io
Upcoming features include Nested Groups and Sources
The team is exploring how to manage assistant-level vs. file-level source access for students
Attendees were encouraged to keep the conversation going in the Discourse community
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:
Nectir Wrapped: Reflect on all we’ve accomplished over the past year!
Brainstorm Creative AI Use Cases: Collaborate on innovative and creative ways to leverage Nectir AI Assistants in your work, personal life, or instruction beyond Q&A support.
Don’t miss this opportunity to share your ideas and help shape the future of Nectir!
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
Nectir AI celebrated its first year with impressive growth: 574K messages (5x growth from launch), 330 workspaces, 15,691 users (+234%), 1,379 courses (+86%), and 2,312 assistants (+119%)
New features include upgraded AI models (GPT-4.1 and Claude 4), temperature controls for response creativity, and file upload capabilities for students
Creative applications extend far beyond basic Q&A to include instructional design support, role-play scenarios, guided problem-solving, and AI literacy education
Student usage patterns show peak activity during evening hours (7-10 PM) and early morning (5-6 AM), demonstrating 24/7 learning support needs
Behind the scenes: 49 new features launched, 125 product improvements deployed, and 75 bugs resolved based on community feedback
Discussion Highlights:
Role-play assistants: Callista shared successful implementation of 5 different motivational interviewing scenarios with built-in feedback; George described historical figure conversations in US History courses
Guided problem-solving: Rod demonstrated scaffolded questioning that adapts to student response complexity; Callista showcased a 7-step moral reasoning framework assistant
AI literacy projects: Pete shared using MIT research to teach students about AI’s cognitive impacts; discussions on comparing different AI models and temperature settings
Student-created assistants: Conversations about scalability challenges and potential for personal learning support tools
Assessment adaptations: Breakout room discussions explored oral exams, chat-based assessments, and digital storytelling as AI-era evaluation methods
Action Items:
The Nectir team will continue developing the Workspace Administrator Dashboard for comprehensive usage analytics across institutions
Upcoming features include chat history export as PDF for improved documentation and assessment capabilities
Attendees were encouraged to explore new temperature controls and file upload features for enhanced AI interactions
Participants interested in sharing implementation stories were invited to complete the User Spotlight Survey
Community members were encouraged to continue discussions and share creative use cases in the Community Forum, which serves as a permanent repository for ideas and best practices
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.
New Features Launched: Gemini 2.5 Pro model added to AI options; Sources feature (early access) provides transparency by showing top 5 source files; Enhanced early access features available in account settings
Three-Stage Implementation Framework: Introduce (set expectations and policies), Integrate (embed into coursework), Evolve (reflect and iterate based on feedback)
Upcoming Lapu Webinar: 7/30 at 3 PM PST featuring a year-in-review of Nectir AI implementation at their partnering institution
Community Spotlight: User spotlight survey available for faculty interested in sharing their experiences through webinars, podcasts, or case studies
Implementation Philosophy: AI adoption is a journey, not a single event - educators should feel confident and comfortable before introducing to students
Discussion Highlights:
Pre-course Communication: Adoria (Merit) shared success with notifying students before class starts that AI would be part of the course, setting clear parameters and expectations upfront
Citation Integration: Melanie (Clovis Community College) built citation requirements directly into prompts, providing both in-text citations and works cited entries to reduce student frustration and increase honest usage
Full Integration Success: Ken (Rio Hondo College) described taking “the plunge” to fully integrate Nectir AI as the lab component in composition courses, requiring 7 interactions throughout the term
Sources Feature Benefits: Discussion of how the new sources feature will eliminate manual citation work and provide document previews for deeper research
Assessment Adaptations: Conversations about using AI for immediate feedback on basic elements (citations, structure) while preserving instructor focus on substantive content review
Action Items:
Immediate Access: All attendees encouraged to access the Implementation Guide and make copies of relevant templates for their courses
Resource Sharing: Faculty invited to share their adaptations and assignments in the Community Forum for collective benefit
Feature Exploration: Try new early access features including Sources (must be enabled in settings first, then toggled in knowledge settings)
Community Engagement: Use the Community Forum as an ongoing space to share prompts, ask questions, and continue implementation discussions beyond monthly sessions
If 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.
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.
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
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.
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:
Watch for further improvements in student onboarding, in-platform coaching, and faculty resource sharing.