Skip to main content

Student Tester Guide

Welcome, testers! Your feedback is essential to making Sage (the HFIM chatbot) better. This guide will help you test effectively and provide valuable feedback that improves the system.

Why Your Testing Matters​

The chatbot learns and improves based on:

  • Questions you ask - Help us discover what topics need better coverage
  • Feedback you provide - Thumbs up/down ratings train the system
  • Comments you leave - Detailed notes help us understand problems

Every interaction you have helps make Sage smarter and more helpful for future students!

How to Test Effectively​

Ask Different Types of Questions​

To help us thoroughly test the system, try asking questions in these categories:

1. Basic Information Questions​

Simple, direct questions about the program:

  • "What is the HFIM program?"
  • "How many credits is the HFIM major?"
  • "Who is the department head?"

Questions about classes, prerequisites, and schedules:

  • "What are the prerequisites for HFIM 3000?"
  • "What courses are required for the HFIM major?"
  • "Tell me about the hospitality law class"

3. Career & Internship Questions​

Questions about professional development:

  • "What internship opportunities are available?"
  • "What careers can I pursue with an HFIM degree?"
  • "How do I find hospitality internships?"

4. Admission & Requirements Questions​

Questions prospective students might ask:

  • "How do I apply to the HFIM program?"
  • "What GPA do I need for HFIM?"
  • "Can I transfer into the HFIM program?"

5. Faculty & Contact Questions​

Questions about people and resources:

  • "Who teaches HFIM 4000?"
  • "How do I contact my advisor?"
  • "Where is the HFIM office located?"

6. Follow-Up Questions​

Test the chatbot's memory by asking follow-up questions:

  • Ask: "What is HFIM 3000?"
  • Then ask: "What are the prerequisites for it?" (tests if it remembers the context)

7. Tricky or Edge Case Questions​

Help us find weak spots:

  • Misspellings: "What is the HFMI program?" (intentional typo)
  • Vague questions: "Tell me about classes"
  • Off-topic questions: "What's the weather like today?"
  • Questions with multiple interpretations: "How hard is it?"

Provide Helpful Feedback​

After each response, you'll see thumbs up/down buttons. Please use them!

When to Give Thumbs Up​

  • Answer was accurate and helpful
  • Information was relevant to your question
  • Sources were provided and seemed reliable
  • Response was easy to understand

When to Give Thumbs Down​

  • Answer was wrong or misleading
  • Information was outdated
  • Response didn't answer your question
  • Important details were missing
  • Response was confusing or too long

Writing Good Comments​

When you leave a comment (especially after thumbs down), include:

Good comment examples:

  • "The answer said HFIM requires 120 credits, but I think it's actually 126"
  • "The chatbot didn't understand I was asking about internships, not classes"
  • "This information seems outdated - the advisor listed retired last year"
  • "The response was helpful but didn't include the phone number I needed"

Less helpful comments:

  • "Bad" (too vague - why was it bad?)
  • "Wrong" (what specifically was wrong?)
  • "IDK" (not actionable)

Understanding How the Chatbot Works​

Here's a simplified diagram of how Sage processes your questions:

What Each Step Does​

StepWhat HappensWhy It Matters
System PromptLoads personality and rulesDefines how Sage should behave
Cache CheckLooks for pre-written answersFastest responses (~100ms)
Vector SearchSearches HFIM documentsFinds relevant information
AI GenerationCreates response using contextGenerates natural-language answer
Web FallbackSearches UGA.edu websitesBackup when documents don't have the answer
Your FeedbackRatings improve the systemHelps us know what's working

Reporting Issues​

Using the Chat Feedback System​

The easiest way to report problems is right in the chat:

  1. Rate the response - Click thumbs down if something is wrong
  2. Add a comment - Describe what went wrong
  3. Be specific - Include what you expected vs. what you got

Reporting Bugs​

If you encounter a technical problem (not just a bad answer), please report it:

Technical bugs include:

  • Chat won't load or freezes
  • Error messages appear
  • Buttons don't work
  • Page crashes or goes blank
  • Login problems

How to report bugs:

  1. Email the developer: swa34@uga.edu

    • Subject: [SAGE BUG] Brief description
    • Include: What happened, what you were doing, any error messages
    • Attach: Screenshots if possible

  2. Include these details:

    • Your browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)
    • What you clicked or typed before the problem
    • The exact error message (copy/paste if possible)
    • Time when it happened

Testing Best Practices​

Do's​

  • Test regularly - Even 5-10 questions a week helps
  • Vary your questions - Different topics, phrasings, and complexity
  • Use the feedback buttons - Every rating helps, even thumbs up!
  • Leave detailed comments - Especially when something is wrong
  • Test edge cases - Typos, vague questions, off-topic queries
  • Try follow-up questions - Test the conversation memory
  • Report bugs promptly - The sooner we know, the sooner we fix it

Don'ts​

  • Don't just rate everything thumbs up - We need honest feedback
  • Don't skip the feedback - Even quick ratings help
  • Don't assume we know about problems - Report issues!
  • Don't give up on broken features - Report them and try again later

What Happens With Your Feedback​

Your feedback is actively used to improve Sage:

  1. Thumbs Up Ratings → Validate that responses are working well
  2. Thumbs Down Ratings → Flag responses that need improvement
  3. Comments → Provide context for why something was wrong
  4. Question Patterns → Help us add missing topics to the knowledge base
  5. Bug Reports → Get prioritized and fixed by the development team
Your Impact

A single detailed comment can lead to a cache entry that helps hundreds of future students get instant, accurate answers!

Questions About Testing?​

If you have questions about how to test or report issues:

Thank You!​

Your testing makes Sage better for everyone in the HFIM community. Every question you ask, every rating you give, and every comment you leave contributes to a smarter, more helpful chatbot.

Happy Testing!

Last Updated: January 2026

Last updated on