Update the AI settings

AI Help is Kita's support for students while they are coding. It is off until a teacher turns it on at the course level, and can be configured by lesson, by group and even by student.

Decide what to allow

Five kinds of support can be switched on or off independently.

Setting	What students get
Explain	A direct, accessible explanation of what a line or section of code does, without having to phrase a question in the AI chat.
Debug	When a program produces a runtime error, Kita shows the standard Python error output and offers an optional AI debugging button.
I/O Tests	Tests you define in the lesson editor, matching inputs to expected outputs, which run when a student triggers a test run.
Tutor Mode	Socratic questioning. When a student asks an open-ended question or expresses confusion, the AI responds with structured questions rather than answers.
Hints	Graduated help when a student asks for a hint or is identified as stuck, starting with the gentlest nudge and escalating only if they remain stuck.

If Hints are on, you also set how far they may escalate.

Level	Name	What the student receives
L1	Gentle Nudge	A broad reminder of relevant programming ideas, with no reference to the student's own code.
L2	Conceptual Hint	A pointer toward a specific concept, or a potential issue in their overall approach.
L3	Contextual Hint	A response that refers directly to the student's code and the logic they are implementing.
L4	Guided Next Step	An explicit instruction about what the next action or change should be.

Capping at L1 or L2 keeps the reasoning with the student, which suits assessed work. L3 or L4 is closer to guided practice, which suits a first lesson on a new concept.

Update the settings

1

Click Courses in the main navigation, then open the course containing the lesson.

2

Click the click the settings cog top right of the course.

3

Turn on the AI Help toggle. Nothing below it takes effect until this is on.

4

Turn off any of the five settings you do not want for this lesson. Each works independently, so a lesson can offer error explanations without offering hints.

5

If Hints are on, use the dropdown to set the maximum hint level.

6

Click Save.

Check that it worked

Go into the course and give it try. You will see the chatbot along the bottom of the insructions area. You can try Explain by highlighting code in the code editor.

Need help?

If AI Help is on but students still cannot use it, email [e-mail] with the course, the lesson, and the class group.