Brainstorm smarter, not harder.
If you’ve ever stared at a blank screen wondering how to start crafting an assessment item, you’re not alone. That’s exactly where General Chat in Cirrus Assist, our new AI Authoring tool, comes in.
This feature is your creative sandbox, a freeform chat space where you can bounce ideas around, test out phrasing, or ask for help structuring a tricky question. Unlike the guided item creation tool in Cirrus we’ll discuss next time, General Chat has no prompts, no restrictions, and no rules. It’s just you and the AI, riffing on ideas until something sticks.
So, how do you use it?
Simple. Open the Cirrus AI Authoring tool, head to General Chat, and start typing. Here are some best practices to use the General Chat like a pro:
Start with a goal
Before typing, ask yourself: What am I trying to create or solve right now? Then tell the chatbot, for example:
- “I need a question that tests understanding of Newton’s second law.”
- “Help me come up with three distractors for this question.”
Setting a clear intention helps the AI give you more relevant responses, faster.
Refine iteratively
Think of General Chat as a sounding board, back-and-forth to get better results. Try:
- “This is close, but can you simplify the language?”
- “What would this look like for an intermediate-level student?”
- “Can you reword this to remove bias?”
Use it as a second pair of eyes
Even if you’ve written a question yourself, paste it in and ask:
- “Does this question have any ambiguity?”
- “Would you say this is a higher-order question or recall?”
- “Can you suggest improvements?”
Leverage it for variants
Once you like a question, ask:
- “Can you rewrite this for a different difficulty level?”
- “Can you turn this into a drag-and-drop?”
- “Give me a similar question using a different concept.”
This helps you build item banks faster and supports diverse assessments.
Don’t stop at questions
You can also use General Chat to:
- Outline learning objectives
- Generate marking rubrics
- Suggest feedback for correct/incorrect answers
- Brainstorm themes for case studies or scenarios
🟠 Cirrus Tips to get the most out of General Chat
💡 Use plain language. It understands casual, natural conversation better than jargon.
💡 Keep it focused. One idea per message works best. Break big asks into smaller parts for clearer results.
💡 Always review the output. The AI is smart, but not infallible. Check accuracy and clarity before using anything in a live assessment.
💡 Use it early. General Chat is great when you’re still exploring ideas or not quite sure what you want to create yet. Think of it as your warm-up before building the final version in the structured tools.
Bottom line
General Chat won’t replace your expertise, but it will help you move faster, get inspired, and feel more confident about your item design.
Next time you’re short on time or ideas, just… start typing! Try it here, and happy authoring!
Ready to try it?
Want to experience General Chat or see how Cirrus can transform your exam creation process? Request a demo today.
