.. _tools_overview:

Tools Overview
==============

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A **tool** is a type of activity Blocks can present inside a course. When an instructor uses
:ref:`Deep Linking <deep_linking>`, they pick one of these tool types and configure an instance
of it.

Available tools
---------------

**AI Tutor**
   A conversational tutor that helps learners work through a topic. See :ref:`ai_tutor`.

**AI Expert Chat**
   A chat experience grounded in a knowledge base, answering from your own documents. See
   :ref:`ai_expert_chat`.

**Multiple Choice**
   A graded multiple-choice question with automatic feedback and instructor-facing response
   statistics. See :ref:`multiple_choice`.

**Free Text**
   A graded open-response assignment with optional AI grading and AI submission-likelihood
   scoring. See :ref:`free_text`.

**HTML Editor**
   A simple authored HTML content block for presenting formatted instructional material.

What every tool shares
----------------------

All tools build on the same Blocks foundation, so they share:

* **Secure LTI launches** and **Deep Linking** authoring.
* **In-place editing** with draft/publish and JSON import/export. See :ref:`runtime_authoring`.
* **Rich text and math** authoring (TinyMCE + MathJax/MathLive).
* **Localization** of learner-facing content by launch language.
* A consistent **instructor view** that shows the learner experience plus instructor-only
  context.

AI-powered tools additionally consume :ref:`credits <billing>` and can be connected to
:ref:`knowledge_bases`.

Graded vs. non-graded
---------------------

* **Graded tools** (Multiple Choice, Free Text) record learner submissions and results, and
  surface review and statistics to instructors.
* **Non-graded tools** (AI Tutor, AI Expert Chat, HTML Editor) provide interactive or
  informational experiences without scoring.

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