You've built a working educational AI chat system through Stage 5. Now it's time for the final required step: configuring your system for your specific pedagogical context and students.

After Stage 5, you have a generic working system that could serve any educational purpose. This page guides you through transforming it into YOUR educational tool — customized for your teaching philosophy, your students' needs, and your specific learning goals.

Before You Begin

What You'll Need

Provide your AI assistant with the system-reference.md file generated at the end of Stage 5. This contains your complete system structure, JSON schemas, and technical details. The AI will use this to understand your specific implementation and identify any additional files it needs.

Workspace Setup

Navigate to your project directory in your command-line AI coding assistant. The AI can read files, write changes directly, and you can test immediately after modifications.

Pedagogical Configuration

These four prompts guide you through configuring the pedagogical heart of your system: the system instructions, conversation frameworks, and learning supports that shape how students interact with AI.

Prompt 1: Core Framework/System Instructions Review

Goal: Validate that the core educational framework aligns with your teaching philosophy and student needs.

Prompt for your AI assistant:

You are helping an educator configure the core educational framework system instructions for their custom AI chat system. They have a working system with modular configuration and want to review the core framework system instructions to ensure it aligns with their teaching philosophy and student needs.

Here is the original core framework structure:

## Core Educational Assistant Framework

**Instructional Hierarchy:**
- Primary directive: Execute the specific conversation framework
- Guiding principles: Default operational principles from core instructions

**Assistant Identity & Purpose:**
- Friendly, supportive learning assistant
- Maintains student ownership of learning
- Supports student independence

**Assistant Persona:**
- Warm, supportive, passionate about subject matter
- Age-appropriate language without condescension
- Genuine enthusiasm for student insights
- Academic accuracy while accessible
- Direct and honest engagement, avoiding sycophantic flattery

**Ethical Guidelines:**
- Student ownership is paramount
- No final assignments (essays, lab reports, finished work)
- Generative tasks as tools for learning (when framework specifies)
- Prioritize understanding over output

**Interaction Framework:**
- Greeting and introduction
- Assess prior knowledge before explaining
- Simplify complex concepts
- Use accessible language with proper terminology
- Provide concrete, relevant examples
- Check for understanding
- Guide with questions rather than answers

**Response Structure:**
- Clear, manageable segments
- Visual organization (headers, bullets)
- Highlight key terms
- Sequential steps for processes
- Connect new to familiar concepts
- Include reflective questions

Ask the educator: Does this framework align with your educational approach and student needs?

Discuss:
- Whether this framework supports their teaching philosophy
- Any modifications needed for their specific context
- Whether any principles should be added, removed, or adjusted
- How this framework will work with their student population

Before concluding, confirm you've addressed all important considerations for the core framework.

Once the educator confirms the final system instructions, update the configuration file with the agreed-upon content.

Prompt 2: Conversation Frameworks Development

Goal: Create conversation frameworks that define different modes or purposes for student AI interactions.

What are conversation frameworks? Modular instructional contexts that transform the AI for different learning purposes. Examples: "Biology Study Partner," "Writing Feedback Assistant," "Math Problem-Solving Coach," "Research Brainstorming Partner."

Prompt for your AI assistant:

You are helping an educator develop conversation frameworks for their educational AI chat system. Conversation frameworks are modular instructional contexts that define how the AI should assist students for specific learning purposes.

Review the educator's system-reference.md to understand their environment.

Help the educator create conversation frameworks that serve their students' learning needs.

Discuss:
- What are the different ways their students will use this AI system?
- What distinct learning purposes or activities need different AI behavior?
- For each purpose identified, what specific instructional approach should the AI take?
- What subjects, skills, or contexts will these frameworks support?
- How many frameworks should they start with? (Consider 1-3, but they can create more)

For each conversation framework, develop:
- A clear, descriptive title
- The complete instructional prompt that defines the AI's role and approach
- Usage notes or context for when to use this framework

Ask the educator about their educational context:
- Grade level(s)
- Subject(s)
- Student population characteristics
- Primary use cases

Before concluding, confirm the frameworks created cover their primary use cases and that each framework has a clear, distinct purpose.

Once the educator confirms the final conversation frameworks, update the configuration files with the agreed-upon content.

Prompt 3: Learning Supports Development

Goal: Create learning supports that provide instructional adaptations for different student needs or learning goals.

What are learning supports? Modular instructional strategies that modify how the AI assists. They are orthogonal to conversation frameworks - any support can be combined with any framework. Multiple supports can be active simultaneously. Examples: "English Language Learner Support," "Chunking Strategy," "Socratic Questioning," "Worked Examples."

Prompt for your AI assistant:

You are helping an educator develop learning supports for their educational AI chat system. Learning supports are modular instructional modifications that adapt how the AI assists students. They are orthogonal to conversation frameworks - any support can be combined with any framework, and multiple supports can be active at once.

Review the educator's system-reference.md to understand their environment.

Help the educator create learning supports that address their students' learning needs and instructional goals.

Discuss:
- What instructional adaptations would benefit their students?
- Are there specific learning needs in their student population? (e.g., language learners, students who need scaffolding, students who benefit from worked examples)
- What teaching strategies do they use that should be reflected in how the AI assists?
- Should some supports address learning processes (scaffolding, questioning techniques)?
- Should some supports address output format (visual organization, step-by-step structure)?
- How many supports should they start with? (Consider 1-3, but they can create more)

For each learning support, develop:
- A clear, descriptive title
- The category or type of support
- A brief statement of purpose
- The complete instructional prompt that implements this support
- Usage notes (when to use, what it's designed to address)

Ask the educator about their educational context:
- Grade level(s)
- Subject(s)
- Student population characteristics
- Specific learning needs

Before concluding, confirm the learning supports created address key instructional needs and that each support has a clear, specific purpose.

Once the educator confirms the final learning supports, update the configuration files with the agreed-upon content.

Prompt 4: UI Polish & Instructional Materials

Goal: Refine the user interface and create instructional materials for students and teachers.

Prompt for your AI assistant:

You are helping an educator finalize the UI and create instructional materials for their educational AI chat system.

The educator has configured their system with conversation frameworks and learning supports. Now they want to polish the user experience and create supporting materials.

Discuss:
- UI preferences they'd like to adjust (color scheme, layout, typography, button styles, spacing, visual hierarchy)
- Student-facing instructions (how to use the system, what it's for, guidelines for effective use)
- Teacher documentation (how to switch frameworks, manage configurations, monitor usage)
- Any accessibility considerations for their student population
- Welcome messages or interface text that should be customized

Ask the educator:
- What should students know before using this system?
- What guidance do students need about appropriate use?
- What do you (as teacher) need to reference regularly?
- Are there specific UI elements that feel unclear or could be improved?
- Any specific visual or functional preferences?

Help them draft:
- Student instructions (clear, age-appropriate)
- Teacher reference guide (quick operational guide)
- UI refinements based on their preferences

Before concluding, confirm you've addressed their UI preferences and created useful instructional materials.

Once the educator confirms the refinements, implement the UI changes and create the documentation files.

Testing Your Pedagogical Configuration

After configuring your system instructions, conversation frameworks, and learning supports, test them thoroughly before deploying to students.

Test Through Actual Use

Simulate student interactions with various scenarios to verify your pedagogical configuration works as intended:

Conversation Frameworks:

Learning Supports:

System Instructions:

Refine Based on Testing

Pedagogical configurations rarely work perfectly on the first attempt. Based on your testing:

This iterative refinement process is normal and valuable—each iteration makes your system more effective for your specific students and context.

Technical Functionality

Pedagogical configuration shouldn't break technical functionality, but if you encounter issues after making changes, work with your AI coding assistant and consult the Testing Guide for troubleshooting guidance.

Next Steps:

Congratulations! Your system is now configured for your specific educational context. As you use it with students, continue refining based on what you observe working well and what needs adjustment.