Moderator

Before the session

Connect your account

Sign in with the account created by the server administrator. Connecting first opens the lobby so participants and enabled moderator assistants can connect and wait. Account and assistant management remain available on the Login tab; continue only when you are ready to configure the session.

Set up the session

The setup is a guided sequence. Steps 1–2 define the course, section, unique session name, and the local output folder. Step 3 configures participant access and the optional roster. After the output folder is selected, use Continue to Setup Participants, then Continue to Step 4 to choose how AI will be handled.

Choose the AI option

Step 4 requires one choice: use without an LLM, use an external approved AI tool by copy/paste, or use a configured LLM in LiveSynthesis. The button Continue to Step 5 opens Preferences and the final Continue to Live Session action. API-key controls appear only for the configured-LLM choice. Save preferences if you want your provider, model, appearance, and custom presets to follow your moderator account.

Conducting a live session

Continue to Live Session, then start the session. Write a question and send it to everyone. Responses are initially controlled separately so the moderator can decide when the floor opens, pause it, or stop it. A participant may revise a response; the latest-response view shows one current response per person, while the all-responses view shows the response history for that question.

Use a question that asks participants to explain their reasoning, propose an approach, or contribute an idea. “What is the definition?” produces less useful synthesis than “Explain why this principle applies here” or “What strategy would you try first, and what risk does it create?”

Messages and assistants

The Messages tab keeps private participant conversations separate from the question workspace. Select a participant before sending a private reply; public messages go to everyone. A raised-hand indicator signals a message needing attention. Moderator assistants can monitor questions, responses, and message history and can reply privately or publicly without gaining access to the moderator’s files, LLM configuration, or local history.

Synthesizing responses

Open the optional LLM Panel after responses arrive. Choose whether to use the current question or the entire session, then choose a built-in task: summarize responses, list points of agreement, or list different perspectives. The visible prompt can be edited before submission. A privacy-review screen shows the complete question-and-response material that will be sent; redact or revise it before continuing.

Reading and comparing a large response set in close to real time is difficult for one moderator. The LLM provides a fast first draft so the group can see themes and differences while the conversation is still active. Review it for omissions, invented claims, misplaced consensus, or lost minority ideas. Edit the draft directly, then send it to participants only when it accurately represents the discussion. The edited version—not merely the original model output—is retained in the moderator’s local history.

Automated synthesis requires an LLM, but the rest of the live session works without one. Depending on your university or organization’s requirements, you can use a cloud provider, an approved enterprise service, or a local desktop model.

Custom presets

The Presets tab lets you create reusable tasks. Give the preset a clear name, an optional moderator-facing prompt, and exact instructions for the LLM output. A preset can apply to every course or only the course specified in Session Setup. Save My Presets stores custom presets in your server preferences; Load My Presets refreshes the task list for the currently entered course.

Example: diagnosing understanding

An instructor asks, “Why can a profitable business still run out of cash?” Students respond independently. The instructor stops responses and asks the LLM to summarize. The draft shows that most students distinguish revenue from cash collection, but several overlook inventory purchases. The instructor edits the wording, shares the synthesis, and asks a follow-up focused on working capital. The value is not an automated grade; it is seeing the class’s current thinking soon enough to respond.

Saving, history, and ending

The moderator’s local record is updated during the session. Save when there is material worth preserving, finish the session when the activity is complete, and use History to preview or export completed sessions. Server recovery copies are encrypted and short-lived; they are not the permanent record. Quit disconnects participants while leaving the moderator free to review local history.