User Guide

A complete guide to using the TFG Pedagogical Chatbot web interface.

Getting Started

Accessing the Application

Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser.

User Roles

Role Capabilities
Student Chat with assistant, take tests, view own progress, configure test preferences
Professor Dashboard access, manage students, upload documents, view analytics, configure test defaults for students
Admin All features + user management, subject management, system configuration

Note: The chat interface is exclusively for students. Professors access the system via their dashboard.

Authentication

Login

  1. Navigate to http://localhost:3000/login
  2. Enter your username and password
  3. Click Iniciar sesión

Register (if enabled)

  1. Click Registrarse on the login page
  2. Fill in:
    • Email address
    • Username
    • Password (min 6 characters)
  3. Click Crear cuenta

Demo Accounts

For development, use the seeded accounts:

Username Password Role
admin admin123 Admin
profesor admin123 Professor
estudiante admin123 Student

Chat Interface

The main chat interface is where students interact with the pedagogical assistant.

Creating a Conversation

  1. Click Nueva conversación button
  2. Enter a title (e.g., “Dudas sobre Docker”)
  3. Select a subject (e.g., “ISE”)
  4. Click Crear

Chatting

  1. Type your message in the input field at the bottom
  2. Press Enter or click the send button
  3. Wait for the assistant’s response

Features

  • Markdown Support: Responses include formatted code, lists, and links
  • Code Highlighting: Code blocks are syntax-highlighted
  • Message History: Scroll up to see previous messages
  • Persistent Sessions: Conversations are saved automatically

Example Interactions

Ask a question:

¿Qué es Docker y para qué se usa?

Request code examples:

Muéstrame un ejemplo de docker-compose.yml

Ask for explanations:

Explícame la diferencia entre imágenes y contenedores

Taking Tests

The chatbot can generate interactive tests to assess your knowledge.

Starting a Test

Type a request like:

Genera un test de 5 preguntas sobre contenedores Docker

During the Test

  1. The assistant presents questions one at a time
  2. Type your answer in the chat input
  3. Receive immediate feedback
  4. Continue until all questions are answered

Test Results

After completing a test, you’ll see:

  • Score: Correct answers / Total questions
  • Feedback: Detailed explanation for each answer
  • Areas to improve: Suggestions for further study

Session Management

Switching Conversations

  1. Click the session selector dropdown in the header
  2. Select a previous conversation
  3. Messages load automatically

Deleting a Conversation

  1. Hover over a conversation in the selector
  2. Click the trash icon
  3. Confirm deletion

Professor Dashboard

Professors have access to additional features via the Dashboard.

Accessing the Dashboard

Click Dashboard in the navigation menu (visible only to professors/admins).

Overview

The dashboard shows:

  • Your subjects: Cards for each subject you teach
  • Quick stats: Total students, conversations, documents

Managing Students

  1. Click Ver estudiantes on a subject card
  2. View enrolled students and their activity
  3. Click Matricular estudiante to add new students

Viewing Student Progress

  1. Click Ver progreso on a subject card
  2. See:
    • Conversation history
    • Test scores over time
    • Question difficulty distribution
    • Areas where students struggle

Document Management

Upload teaching materials for RAG:

  1. Click Gestionar documentos on a subject card
  2. Click Subir documento
  3. Select a PDF, TXT, or Markdown file
  4. The document is indexed for semantic search

Supported formats: PDF, TXT, MD, DOCX

Admin Panel

Administrators have full system control.

Accessing Admin Panel

Click Administración in the navigation menu (visible only to admins).

User Management

View all users:

  • See username, email, role, and subjects
  • Filter by role

Promote a user:

  1. Click the shield icon next to a user
  2. Select new role (Student → Professor → Admin)
  3. Confirm promotion

Assign subjects:

  1. Click the book icon next to a user
  2. Select subjects to assign
  3. Save changes

Subject Management

Create a new subject:

  1. Click Crear asignatura
  2. Enter subject code (e.g., “ISE”)
  3. Enter subject name (e.g., “Infraestructura de Servidores”)
  4. Click Crear

View subject statistics:

  • Total enrolled students
  • Total conversations
  • Document count

Settings

Access personal settings via Configuración in the menu.

Profile

View your account information:

  • Email
  • Username
  • Role
  • Assigned subjects

Test Preferences

Configure default settings for generated tests:

  • Default number of questions: 1-20 questions per test
  • Default difficulty: Easy, Medium, or Hard
  • Language: Spanish or English for test questions

These preferences are used as defaults when generating tests. You can always override them by specifying parameters in your test request.

System Information

View the current LLM model being used by the chatbot (e.g., gemini-2.0-flash-lite, Qwen/Qwen2.5-7B-Instruct).

Note: Only students can access the chat feature. Professors should use their dashboard to view student progress and manage documents.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Enter Send message
Shift + Enter New line in message
Esc Close dialogs

Tips for Effective Use

For Students

  1. Be specific: “¿Cómo funciona Docker networking?” vs “¿Qué es Docker?”
  2. Ask follow-ups: Build on previous answers
  3. Request examples: Ask for code samples and practical use cases
  4. Take tests: Regular self-assessment helps retention

For Professors

  1. Upload relevant materials: PDFs of lecture notes, assignments
  2. Monitor progress: Check dashboard weekly
  3. Review questions: See what students struggle with

For Admins

  1. Regular backups: Export MongoDB data
  2. Monitor logs: Check Grafana for errors
  3. User audits: Review user roles periodically

Troubleshooting

Can’t log in

  1. Check username/password are correct
  2. Clear browser cookies
  3. Try incognito mode

Chat not responding

  1. Check if services are running: docker compose ps
  2. Look for errors in browser console (F12)
  3. Check chatbot logs: docker logs tfg-chatbot
  1. Wait 30 seconds for indexing
  2. Check RAG service logs: docker logs tfg-rag-service
  3. Verify Ollama is running: docker logs ollama-service

Slow responses

  1. First message may be slow (model loading)
  2. Check Phoenix for LLM latency
  3. Consider using Gemini instead of local vLLM

Mobile Usage

The interface is responsive and works on mobile devices:

  • Portrait mode: Sidebar collapses, tap to expand
  • Landscape mode: Full interface visible
  • Touch: Tap to select, swipe for navigation

Browser Support

Browser Support
Chrome (latest) ✅ Full
Firefox (latest) ✅ Full
Safari (latest) ✅ Full
Edge (latest) ✅ Full
IE 11 ❌ Not supported