Getting Started
Welcome to AIMatric LMS. This interactive manual will guide you through every feature of the platform. Select your role below to get a personalized walkthrough, or browse the full manual.
I'm a Student
Learn how to enroll, study, and track progress
I'm an Instructor
Learn how to create courses and manage content
I'm an Admin
Platform management and configuration
Quick Start (All Users)
Create your account
Register with username, email, and password. Your role (Student, Instructor, Admin) determines what you can access.
Complete your profile
Upload an avatar, write a bio, and choose your preferred color theme from 12 options.
Explore the dashboard
Your dashboard shows enrolled courses (students) or taught courses (instructors) with quick actions and progress.
Start learning or teaching
Students: browse the catalog and enroll. Instructors: create your first course.
Portal Overview
Platform Architecture
+------------------+ +-------------------+ +------------------+
| Student | | Instructor | | Admin |
+--------+---------+ +--------+----------+ +--------+---------+
| | |
v v v
+--------+---------+ +--------+----------+ +--------+---------+
| Dashboard | | Dashboard | | Admin Panel |
| - My Courses | | - My Courses | | - All Users |
| - Progress | | - Analytics | | - All Courses |
| - Resume | | - Gradebook | | - Platform |
+--------+---------+ +--------+----------+ +------------------+
| |
v v
+--------+-------------------------+----------+
| Course Space |
| +--------+ +----------+ +-----------+ |
| |Sections| | Content | |Assignments| |
| | | | Player | | | |
| +--------+ +----------+ +-----------+ |
| +--------+ +----------+ +-----------+ |
| | Forums | | AI | | Grades | |
| | | | Assistant| | | |
| +--------+ +----------+ +-----------+ |
+-----------------------------------------+---+
Navigation Bar
Always visible at the top. Contains logo, course links, notification badge (auto-updates every 60s), theme switcher, and profile menu.
AI Chat Widget
Floating button in the bottom-right corner on every page. Click to open the AI assistant for learning help.
Content Player
Dedicated reading interface with sidebar navigation, previous/next controls, and progress tracking. Appears when viewing course content.
Theme System
12 color themes that customize the entire portal appearance. Change anytime from the floating theme widget.
Role-Based Guides
Navigate to the Course Catalog from the navigation bar to browse all published courses.
To enroll:
- Click on a course card to view its details
- Review the description, learning points, and instructor info
- Click the Enroll button
- The course appears in your dashboard immediately
Course content is organized into Sections containing various Content Items:
| Type | What it is |
|---|---|
| 📄 Page | Rich text lesson or lecture |
| 📝 Text & Media | Multimedia-rich content block |
| 📖 Book | Multi-chapter reading material |
| 📎 File | Downloadable document |
| 📁 Folder | Collection of files |
| 🔗 URL | External web resource |
Use the Previous and Next buttons at the bottom of each item to move through content sequentially, or use the sidebar to jump to any section.
Bookmarks let you save content items for quick access later:
- Click the bookmark icon on any content item
- Access all bookmarks from your profile or dashboard
- Remove bookmarks by clicking the icon again
Notes are personal annotations attached to specific content:
- Add a note while viewing any content item
- Notes are private and visible only to you
- Edit or delete notes at any time
- Use notes to record questions, summaries, or key takeaways
Assignments appear within course sections. Submission types include:
- Text: Write your response directly in the rich text editor
- File Upload: Attach documents, code, or other files
- URL: Submit a link to your work (e.g., GitHub repo, Google Doc)
- MCQ Quiz: Answer multiple-choice questions with instant feedback
The AI assistant is available on every page via the floating chat bubble (bottom-right corner).
Quick Actions: When inside a course, you will see one-click buttons for:
- Summarize -- Get a concise bullet-point summary of the current content
- Explain -- Simplify complex concepts with analogies
- Quiz Me -- Generate 5 multiple-choice questions to test your understanding
- Study Notes -- Create organized notes from the current material
Voice Input: Click the microphone icon to speak your question instead of typing.
Text-to-Speech: Click the speaker icon on any AI response to hear it read aloud.
- Navigate to your Instructor Dashboard
- Click "Create Course"
- Fill in course details:
- Title -- Clear, descriptive course name
- Slug -- URL-friendly identifier (auto-generated from title)
- Description -- Full course overview
- Short Description -- One-liner for catalog cards
- Category -- Subject classification
- Thumbnail -- Card image for listings
- Cover Image -- Header background on the course page
- "What You Will Learn" -- One learning point per line
- Max Students -- Set to 0 for unlimited
- Save as Draft (default) to continue building content
- Click Publish when ready to make it visible to students
Sections are the top-level organizers (like chapters or modules):
- Go to your course's Content tab
- Click "Add Section"
- Enter a title and optional summary
- Drag sections to reorder them
Content Items go inside sections:
- Click "Add Item" within a section
- Choose the content type (Page, File, Book, URL, Text & Media, Folder)
- Fill in the content using the rich text editor (for Page, Book, Text & Media)
- Configure completion tracking:
- None -- No progress tracking
- Manual -- Student clicks "Mark Complete"
- Auto on View -- Completes when opened
- Optionally set availability windows and prerequisites
The editor (RiteEditor) provides a full formatting toolbar:
The editor comes in two modes:
- Full Editor -- Complete toolbar for pages, chapters, and long-form content
- Mini Editor -- Compact toolbar for descriptions and short text fields
Each course has a dedicated Media Library for storing reusable assets:
- Upload images, videos, PDFs, and other files
- Set alt text for accessibility on images
- File type and size are auto-detected
- Embed media directly into content using the editor's insert tools
- Media is shared across all content items in the same course
Prerequisites enforce a learning path:
- When editing a content item, set "Require completion of" to another item
- Students must complete the prerequisite before accessing the dependent item
- A locked message tells them exactly what to complete first
Availability Windows:
- Available From -- Content is locked before this date
- Available Until -- Content is locked after this date
- Both can be set on sections (affects all items) or individual items
- Useful for timed releases, exam periods, or weekly drip content
- Access the Gradebook from your course dashboard
- View all student submissions for each assignment
- Assign scores based on configured weights
- MCQ quizzes are auto-graded; text/file submissions require manual review
- Students receive notifications when grades are posted
- View and manage all registered users
- Change user roles (Admin, Instructor, Student)
- Deactivate or reactivate accounts
- View user enrollment history and activity
- Manage course categories for catalog organization
- Configure AI assistant settings (Smith AI token, speech server)
- Monitor platform-wide analytics and engagement
- Manage gamification settings (badges, certificates)
- View all courses across all instructors (draft, published, archived)
- Archive or unpublish courses as needed
- Transfer course ownership between instructors
- Bulk import/export courses for backup or migration
Content Creation
Content Hierarchy
Course
|
+-- Section 1: "Introduction"
| |-- Page: "Welcome to the Course"
| |-- File: "Syllabus.pdf"
| +-- URL: "Supplementary Reading"
|
+-- Section 2: "Core Concepts"
| |-- Book: "Theory Handbook" (5 chapters)
| |-- Text & Media: "Video Walkthrough"
| +-- Folder: "Practice Files" (3 files)
|
+-- Section 3: "Assessment"
+-- Assignment: "Final Project"
Pages are the most common content type -- ideal for lessons, lectures, and reading material.
- Click "Add Item" in a section and select Page
- Enter a descriptive title
- Use the full rich text editor to author your content
- Embed images from the media library, add tables, format code blocks
- Optionally set a featured image and estimated duration (e.g., "5 min read")
- Choose completion tracking mode
- Save as Draft or Publish immediately
Books contain multiple ordered chapters, each with its own rich text content. Perfect for textbooks and long-form guides.
- Add a content item and select Book
- Give the book a title and optional description
- Click "Add Chapter" to create chapters
- Each chapter has its own title and full rich text body
- Reorder chapters by changing their order numbers
- Students navigate chapters sequentially within the book
Single File:
- Select "File" as content type
- Upload any document (PDF, DOCX, PPTX, ZIP, etc.)
- File name and size are auto-detected
- Students can download the file from the content player
Folder (multiple files):
- Select "Folder" as content type
- Add a description for the collection
- Upload multiple files into the folder
- Reorder files within the folder
- Students see a list of downloadable files
Every time you save changes to a content item, the system creates a revision:
- Each revision has an incremental number (Rev #1, #2, #3...)
- A snapshot of the content body is stored
- The editor who made the change is recorded
- Optional change summary can be added
AI-Powered Editor
About the AI Editor
The RiteEditor is a cloud-hosted rich text editor integrated directly into all content creation forms. It provides a familiar word-processor experience with AI capabilities, auto-saving, and secure HTML sanitization.
Full Editor Mode
Used for pages, book chapters, and text & media content. Provides the complete formatting toolbar.
- + Headings (H1 through H6)
- + Rich text formatting (bold, italic, underline, strike)
- + Bullet lists, numbered lists, checklists
- + Tables with row/column controls
- + Image and video embedding
- + Code blocks with syntax highlighting
- + Links and anchors
- + Block quotes and dividers
- + HTML source view
Mini Editor Mode
Used for descriptions, summaries, and short-form text fields. Compact toolbar with essential formatting.
- + Basic text formatting
- + Simple lists
- + Links
- + Clean, distraction-free interface
Security and Sanitization
All HTML content authored in the editor passes through Bleach sanitization on save. This:
- Strips dangerous tags and attributes (script, iframe, event handlers)
- Preserves safe formatting (headings, paragraphs, lists, links, images, tables)
- Prevents XSS attacks from malicious content
- Ensures consistent, clean markup across all content
AI Learning Assistant
How It Works
The AI assistant (powered by Smith AI) is embedded as a floating chat widget on every page. It is purpose-built for learning assistance and scoped strictly to the LMS and its courses.
Type any question about your course material and get an instant, contextual response. The AI:
- Answers questions about concepts covered in your courses
- Provides explanations tailored to your learning level
- Remembers previous messages in the conversation for follow-ups
- Can suggest courses from the catalog if you ask what's available
- Stays focused on learning -- won't answer off-topic questions
Click "Summarize" on any content page to get a concise bullet-point summary. Useful for:
- Quick review before an exam
- Getting the gist of a long reading
- Creating study flashcards from summaries
The AI generates 5 multiple-choice questions based on the current content, with progressively increasing difficulty. Each question includes:
- The question text
- Four answer options (A, B, C, D)
- The correct answer indicator
- An explanation of why the answer is correct
When you answer:
- The AI tells you clearly if you're CORRECT or INCORRECT
- Explains WHY the answer is right or wrong
- Gives a score (e.g., "Score: 3/5") at the end
- Suggests topics to review
Speech-to-Text (Voice Input):
- Click the microphone icon in the chat input
- Speak your question naturally
- The system transcribes your speech using the Web Speech API
- If the browser doesn't support it, a Whisper-based server handles transcription
Text-to-Speech (Listen to Responses):
- Click the speaker icon on any AI response
- The response is read aloud using the Kokoro TTS engine
- Markdown formatting is stripped for natural-sounding speech
- Great for auditory learners or multitasking
For extended conversations, use the full-page chat at /ai/chat/:
- Sidebar shows your 20 most recent chat sessions
- Click any session to resume the conversation
- Full message history is loaded from the Smith AI backend
- Create new sessions for different topics or courses
Course Management
Course Lifecycle
Building content, not visible to students. Only the instructor can see and edit.
Live in the catalog. Students can enroll and access content.
Closed to new enrollments. Previously enrolled students may retain access.
Enrollment Management
Students enroll through the public catalog. Instructors can also manage enrollments directly:
- View all enrolled students and their roles
- Assign Teaching Assistant roles for elevated course permissions
- Deactivate enrollments without removing history
- Set maximum student capacity (0 = unlimited)
Assignments and Grading
Text Submission
Students write responses using the rich text editor. Ideal for essays, reflections, and short answers.
File Upload
Students upload documents, source code, presentations, or other deliverables.
URL Link
Students submit a link to external work -- GitHub repos, Google Docs, deployed apps, etc.
MCQ Quiz
Multiple-choice questions with automatic grading. Instant results upon submission.
Grading Configuration
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Score | Maximum points available |
| Weight | Relative weight in final grade calculation |
| Due Date | Deadline for submission |
| Late Policy | Penalty rules for late submissions |
| Max Attempts | Number of times a student can resubmit |
Progress Tracking
The LMS tracks student progress at multiple levels:
Not Started / In Progress / Complete per content item. Tracks view count and last viewed time.
Overall progress bar showing percentage of completed items. Drives the dashboard resume feature.
Engagement metrics, time spent, and learning patterns for instructors and admins.
- No Tracking -- Item has no completion state
- Manual -- Student clicks a "Mark Complete" button
- Auto on View -- Automatically marked complete when the student opens the item
Personalization
Color Themes
Choose from 12 color themes that customize the entire portal appearance. Change your theme anytime from the floating theme widget or your profile settings.
Profile Settings
- Avatar -- Upload a profile picture displayed in the navbar and course discussions
- Bio -- Write a short bio visible to other users in forums and course pages
- Color Theme -- Select and preview themes that apply across the entire portal
- Name and Email -- Update your display name and contact information
Import & Export
AIMatric LMS supports multiple formats for course backup and cross-platform migration:
Native ZIP
Full course backup including all content, media files, and structural metadata. Best for backup and restore within AIMatric.
SCORM
Industry-standard e-learning package format. Import SCORM packages from other LMS platforms or export for use elsewhere.
IMS Common Cartridge
Cross-platform course exchange format used by Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, and other major LMS platforms.
JSON / CSV
Structured data export for programmatic use, analytics, or tabular reporting.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The AI assistant is strictly scoped to the LMS platform and its courses. It will not answer general knowledge questions unrelated to your learning. If you ask an off-topic question, it will gently redirect you back to course material.
Instructors can set any content item to require completion of another item first. If you try to access locked content, you will see a message like "Complete 'Introduction to Variables' first" with a link to the prerequisite item.
Courses with a max student capacity display "Course Full" when the limit is reached. You will not be able to enroll until a spot opens up. Courses with max students set to 0 have unlimited enrollment.
Yes. The portal is fully responsive and works on mobile browsers. The AI chat widget, content player, and all features adapt to smaller screens.
Yes. Chat conversations are saved as sessions. You can access your last 20 sessions from the full-page chat interface at /ai/chat/. Each session maintains its full message history.
Badges are awarded automatically when you hit milestones (e.g., completing your first course, achieving a streak). Certificates are generated when you complete all required content in a course that has certification enabled.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Content Player
| ← | Previous item |
| → | Next item |
| B | Toggle bookmark |
| M | Mark complete |
AI Assistant
| Ctrl + / | Open/close chat widget |
| Enter | Send message |
| Shift + Enter | New line in message |