Step-by-step workflow

How to run an interactive session

This guide covers the mechanics from the first connection through questions, responses, synthesis, saving, and finishing. The moderator connects first; participants and assistants then join from their own devices.

Launch Moderator Launch Participant: PC, Mac, or Tablet Launch Participant: Mobile Phone Launch Assistant

1. Connect the moderator

Open the Moderator application and accept the terms and privacy notice.
Enter the moderator account name and password supplied by the server administrator.
Select Connect. After the connection succeeds, participants and enabled assistants can connect and wait for the session.
Review the assistant list and account options if needed, then select the clearly marked continuation button to open Session Setup.

The moderator must connect before participants or assistants. Connecting is not the same as starting a session: people who join at this point will see that they are waiting for the moderator to begin.

2. Set up the session

In Steps 1–2, enter the course or group, section, and a unique session name.
Choose the local output folder where the permanent session record will be saved.
Select Continue to Setup Participants, then configure the participant access mode and optional roster in Step 3.
Select Continue to Step 4 and choose one AI option: no LLM, external AI by copy/paste, or a configured LLM.
Select Continue to Step 5 to open Preferences and the final Continue to Live Session action. API-key controls appear only for a configured LLM.

A duplicate session name is rejected so an earlier local record is not silently overwritten. Change the session name and continue.

3. Connect participants and assistants

Participants

Open the Participant application, identify the moderator, enter the participant name, email, or group identifier, and supply a password when the session requires one. Select Connect. The participant can wait while setup is completed.

Assistants

Open the Assistant application and enter the assistant credentials created by the moderator. Assistants can monitor participants and help answer private questions. Their messages are presented as coming from the instructional team rather than exposing which individual sent them.

Browser users connect through the LLMGrader website; they do not need to enter the server address or port.

4. Start and ask

On Live Session, select Start Session. Connected participant and assistant screens update automatically.
Enter the first question and send it.
Use the response controls to allow, pause, stop, or time responses. Participants can revise an answer while responses remain open.
Send follow-up questions when the discussion calls for them. The current-question and response-history controls let each role keep the relevant context visible.

5. Manage messages and responses

The Messages tab is available throughout the session. A participant can privately ask the instructional team for help. The moderator or assistant selects that participant, verifies the visible recipient, and replies privately. Public messages go to the entire group.

The response view shows the most recent answer or all answers to the current question. New activity is highlighted, and the connected-participant list shows who is presently available. Privacy review is enabled by default before material is sent for synthesis.

6. Synthesize responses when it helps the discussion

The LLM panel is optional for running a session. Use it when a quick synthesis will help the group see themes, agreement, different perspectives, or open questions while there is still time to discuss them. Without an LLM, the moderator can still review, share, save, and export the responses.

Open the LLM Panel from the moderator's Live Session screen.
Choose a preset such as summary, points of agreement, or points of disagreement—or use a custom preset.
Select whether the analysis should use the current question or the relevant session material.
Review the exact material that will be sent. If privacy review flags identifying information, edit or redact the material, cancel, or deliberately continue.
Send it to the LLM, then review and edit the result. The model provides a draft; the moderator decides what is accurate and useful.
Select Send to Participants when the result is ready, then use it to guide a follow-up question or discussion.

Reading and comparing many responses quickly is difficult for one person. Synthesis helps with that first pass, but it is not an automatic assessment or grade. Privacy review is an aid, not a guarantee; the moderator remains in control of what is sent to a model and what is shared with the group.

7. Save, finish, and start again

Use Save during the session when there is new material to preserve. Questions, participant responses, messages, and edited LLM results are included in the session record.
Select Finish Session when that activity is over. Participant screens then indicate that they are waiting for the next session.
Use Start New Session to return to setup. A newly confirmed session clears the previous live displays.
Use History to preview local records, save copies, or export selected material for LLMGrader.
Use Quit when no more sessions will be run. Participants disconnect, while the moderator can retain access to locally saved history as designed.

The moderator's local copy is the permanent record. Temporary recovery material on the server is separate and expires; local history can be viewed without a server connection.

If a connection does not proceed

Unable to connect: confirm that the moderator has connected and that the correct account or moderator identifier was entered.
Waiting for the moderator: the connection is working; the moderator has not started the session or is preparing the next one.
No LLM model selected: select a provider and model, then confirm it with Use Selected Model. An LLM is optional for collecting responses and messaging.
Session name already exists: use a new name so the earlier record is preserved.