📖 User Manual

Aura AI Academy — Complete Guide for Learners

1. Getting Started

What is Aura AI Academy?

Aura AI Academy is a comprehensive AI literacy learning platform designed for everyone — students, professionals, seniors, and curious minds of all ages. It combines structured lessons, interactive quizzes, mock exams with scoring, and an AI assistant to help you understand and use AI safely and effectively.

Platform Navigation

The platform has five main sections accessible from the top navigation bar:

• Home — Overview and quick access to all features
• Learn — Structured lessons organized into free foundation modules plus Pro advanced modules
• Exam Prep — Mock exams, custom question banks, and score tracking
• AI Assistant — Chat with Aura for personalized help on any topic
• User Manual — This guide (you're reading it now!)

Account & Access

The platform works immediately in demo mode. For full features, you can:

• Login with Google — Saves your progress across devices
• Unlock Pro — One-time SGD $9.90 payment unlocks premium modules and advanced practice

2. Learning Modules

How Lessons Work

The platform uses scaffolded learning — information is presented in layers of increasing complexity:

• Phase 1 (The What) — AI basics explained with simple analogies
• Phase 2 (The How) — Practical tool literacy and hands-on prompting
• Phase 3 (The Why) — Critical thinking, ethics, and responsible use
• Bonus — Professional workplace applications

Each module contains 4 lessons. After completing the lessons, you can take a quiz to test your understanding.

Taking Quizzes

Each module has a 4-question quiz with multiple-choice answers. Click your answer to see instant feedback. Correct answers turn green; incorrect answers turn red with the correct answer highlighted.

3. Exam Preparation

Built-in Exams

The exam system lets you test your knowledge under timed conditions:

1. Choose a topic (or select "All Topics Combined")
2. Set the number of questions and time limit
3. Configure options (shuffle, timer visibility, auto-submit)
4. Click "Start Exam" to begin

Scoring System

Exams are scored automatically:

• Multiple Choice — 1 point per correct answer
• Written Answers — Scored on completeness (answered = partial credit)
• Grades — A (90%+), B (80%+), C (70%+), D (60%+), F (below 60%)

Custom Question Banks

You can upload your own questions for any subject:

• JSON Upload — Upload a structured JSON file following the format guide
• Text Paste — Paste questions in plain text (the system will parse them)
• AI Generation — Describe a topic and Aura will generate practice questions

JSON Question Format

For custom question banks, use this structure:

{
  "title": "My Custom Exam",
  "questions": [
    {
      "q": "Your question text here?",
      "choices": ["Option A", "Option B", "Option C", "Option D"],
      "correct": 0,
      "explanation": "Why this answer is correct"
    }
  ]
}

4. AI Assistant (Aura)

What Can Aura Help With?

• Explaining AI concepts at any complexity level
• Providing study guidance and exam preparation tips
• Answering questions about any subject (not just AI)
• Generating practice questions on custom topics
• Offering prompt engineering advice
• Discussing responsible AI use and safety

How to Get the Best Answers

• Be specific: "Explain LLMs to a beginner" works better than "tell me about AI"
• Ask follow-ups: "Can you give me an example?" or "Make it simpler"
• Specify your level: "I'm a high school student" or "I'm a software engineer"
• Request formats: "Give me 5 bullet points" or "Explain in 3 steps"

5. Tips for Different Learners

For Young Students (Ages 10-16)

• Start with Phase 1 (AI Basics) — it uses fun analogies!
• Try the quizzes — they're like a game with instant feedback
• Ask Aura to explain things "like I'm 10 years old"
• Focus on safety lessons — knowing about hallucinations and privacy is important

For Adults & Professionals

• Jump to Phase 2 or 3 if you already know the basics
• Use the "AI at Work" module for practical workplace applications, then unlock Pro modules for agentic AI, RAG, governance, and AI security
• Upload your own study materials for custom exam prep
• Ask Aura about specific tools or workflows relevant to your job

For Seniors

• Take your time — there's no rush or time pressure in lessons
• The AI Assistant (Aura) is very patient — ask as many questions as you need
• Focus on safety and scam awareness in the Responsible AI module
• Remember: AI is a helper, not a replacement for human judgment

6. Technical Information

Data & Privacy

• Your progress is saved locally in your browser (localStorage)
• No personal data is collected without Google login
• Chat conversations are not stored permanently
• Custom question banks remain in your browser only

Browser Compatibility

Works on all modern browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge. Mobile-responsive design works on phones and tablets.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Enter — Send message in AI Assistant
• ← / → — Navigate exam questions (when in exam mode)

7. Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Aura gives generic answers — Try being more specific in your question
• Progress not saving — Ensure cookies/localStorage are enabled in your browser
• Custom questions not loading — Check your JSON format matches the template above
• Exam timer not showing — Ensure "Show countdown timer" is checked in settings