I did not build an AI tutor to replace anyone.
I built it because too many students were getting stuck in that quiet middle space, between not knowing and not asking for help.
They were not showing up to tutoring.
They were not emailing instructors.
They were just… disengaging.
Some of them did not even realize tutoring was available.
Others were hesitant to reach out, unsure of what to say or afraid of asking the wrong thing.
And for many, the realization that they needed help came after hours, when no one was there to respond.
When I was given oversight of the tutoring department, alongside my responsibilities with the library and immersive learning, my provost asked me to bring the same kind of innovation to tutoring that I had already introduced in other areas.
So I started thinking:
What is a technology that could expand access, support learning outside of business hours, and help students feel less alone in the moment they get stuck?
I immediately thought of AI.
Because at its core, AI is a language and information tool and tutoring is all about helping students make sense of language, problems, instructions, and ideas.
That is where SOPHIE came in.
SOPHIE
Specific, Organized, Precise, Helpful, Informative, and Engaged.
An AI tutor designed not to give answers, but to help students work through challenges and feel more confident in the process.
I embedded her in a few English and math classes to see what would happen.
What Makes SOPHIE Different:
To make sure SOPHIE was genuinely helpful, I set some clear boundaries around how she would support students.
🎯 She does not give students the answer
💬 She asks guiding questions to help students clarify what they are stuck on
🧠 She walks students through math problems (prompting them to think about the steps)
📚 She nudges students toward helpful resources like tutoring, the library, or even the college food pantry when those are a better fit
✅ She always keeps her responses within the bounds of ethical support.
I was not sure how students would respond.
What I Saw in the Post-Survey:
Students who used SOPHIE felt more comfortable using AI by the end of the term. Several said they felt more confident doing things on their own.
Was it perfect? No.
Some students said they never used SOPHIE because they could not find her in the course layout. That is something I am already addressing by making her more visible in Canvas navigation for upcoming terms.
But for the students who did engage with SOPHIE, it mattered.
What Happens Next
This fall, I am expanding the pilot and tracking outcomes more intentionally.
The goal is not to automate tutoring.
The goal is to build a support system that works, even when no one is online.
Because sometimes students just need a nudge, a prompt, or a question that helps them try again.
And if SOPHIE can be that?
Then this work is worth it.
Typed by me, nudged by AI, approved by coffee. 🍵
Iteration and Innovation in Higher Education 