Knowledge base

Upload and select PDF documents to be used as the references for items generated by Item Assist.

The knowledge base is an optional feature that can improve the quality of the sources that Item Assist uses to generate multiple choice questions. If the knowledge base is turned off, Item Assist will use its original training data. If the knowledge base is turned on, Item Assist will use only your chosen sources as references. The knowledge base is powered by Retrieval Augmented Generation, a research-based tool developed to improve AI accuracy.

  • Note To improve Item Assist’s quality, stability, and security, Item Assist does not search the internet.
  • Note When the knowledge base is disabled and the AI model's original training data is used, all of the training documents that Item Assist will use will be dated to prior to October 1, 2024. If users require more recent references, the knowledge base is recommended. 
  • Note The knowledge base should be used to provide references that Item Assist will be citing for item content, and not for other types of training documents such as style guides or sample items.
  • Note Item Assist does not access the internet in real time; however, it may reference previously downloaded materials such as PDF versions of web pages.

Upload resources

Warning For each document in the knowledge base, you must own its copyright or the content must be public domain.

Warning Avoid uploading sample multiple-choice questions into the knowledge base. For best results, add sample multiple-choice questions to the content generation prompt or metadata prompts, or  add a "sample MCQ" additional author prompt that allows authors to add a sample question.

Note Only PDF files can be added to the knowledge base. However, Item Assist understands diverse PDF content, such as PDFs converted from PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets, video transcripts, and images. 

Note Documents cannot be encrypted.

Note Each document must be under 100MB. However, there is no limit on the total storage allowance or the total number of files stored in the knowledge base.

Note Make sure to name files according to your style preferences, as the exact file names will be used as titles in references. 

 If you have style guidelines, it is recommended to put this content into the content generation prompt instead. 
  1. Click Knowledge base on the Item Assist home page. 
  2. Click Upload resources in the upper-right corner of the page. 
  3. Drag and drop PDF files into the designated area of the pop-up window or click choose file to upload and select the desired PDF files.
  4. The name of each added file is shown below the upload area. Click the X to close the window. 
  5. The files are shown in the Available Files area.

Note PDFs added to the knowledge base can be shared with other projects or item banks in ExamDeveloper on the Manage Item Banks > Projects > Add Content > Assets page. 

Select resources

  1. Click and drag files from the Available Files list to the Selected Files list.
    1. You can search for a specific file in the Available Files list.  
    2. Click Add all available files to add all resources in the Available Files list to the Selected Files list. 
  2. Make sure the selected resources display the Ready to be sent flag. 
  3. Click Save.
  4. All selected resources are sent to Item Assist for processing. 
    1. Note The content is being processed by AI (it is not just uploading files). Therefore, this process could take a significant amount of time (minutes or hours) depending on the type and volume of content you selected to process.  
    2. The Knowledge base tile on the home page will initially display the message "0 resources processed". As resources are processed, the number will change. For example, if you selected 3 resources to process, the message "3 resources processed" indicates that all resources are ready to be used. Refresh the page to see the latest update. 
    3. You can check the status of resources in the Selected Files list. A Processing flag will show if a resource is still being processed.

Remove or delete resources

Note Depending on a file's status (editable or view-only) and which projects it is associated with, you can remove the file from a project or delete it from the item bank. 

Note You cannot remove resources that are shared with other item banks. However, you can remove resources that are shared with other projects. 
  1. Locate the file to be removed in the Selected Files list or the Available Files list.
  2. Click the ellipsis for the desired file and select one of the following. (Options are displayed based on the status of the file and where it is associated to.)
    1. Delete from item bank: this option is available if the file is editable for the project and is not associated to any other projects. You cannot delete a file from the item bank if it is view-only for the project.
    2. Remove from project: this option is available if the file is associated with multiple projects (either as editable or view-only). You cannot remove the file from the project if it is associated to a single project and is editable within that project.
  3. In the pop-up window, confirm by clicking Delete (if deleting from item bank) or Remove (if removing from a project). 

 

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