Welcome to SIMBA

The AI That Makes Students Think

SIMBA is a web and mobile based educational platform that empowers teachers to design, deploy, and analyze pedagogically-grounded chatbots powered by large language models. While generative AI is becoming increasingly available, educators often lack the tools to transform it into purposeful, trackable, and effective learning experiences. SIMBA was co-developed with instructors to fill this gap and meet real classroom needs, aligning LLMs with structured teaching practices that support students development of critical thinking and self-reflection through guided dialogue and actionable insights. No coding required — just thoughtful pedagogy translated into interactive dialogues.

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How Does SIMBA Work?

Course Management Interface

1Access and Manage Courses

AI Chatbot Interface

2Engage with our AI Assistant

Analytics Dashboard

3Track Progress and Insights

Getting Started with SIMBA

Everything You Need to Know

Whether you're new to educational technology or an experienced educator, our documentation will help you make the most of SIMBA. We've put together step-by-step guides, practical examples, and troubleshooting tips to get you up and running quickly.

What Makes SIMBA Different?

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Pedagogy-first: Chatbot creation is rooted in instructional strategies defined by the teachers.
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Teacher-driven: Built with and for educators; no AI expertise needed.
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Learning Analytics-Ready: Interactions become evidence for reflection, research, and refinement.
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Evidence-based and Informed: The tool evolves based on classroom realities and ongoing research using Design Based Research Methodologies.

Who is SIMBA for?

  • University instructors, school teachers, and instructional designers.
  • Education researchers exploring AI-supported teaching.
  • Innovative institutions piloting future-ready learning tools.
User Guide

SIMBA User Manual

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Research Behind SIMBA

Our work is grounded in educational research and continues to contribute to the field of AI in education

Exploring the Impact of LLM-Based Scaffolding on Academic Performance and the Mediating Roles of AI Literacy and Prior Knowledge

Anonymous Authors

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SIMBA: creating chatbots for students tutoring

Gabriel Ferrettini, André C. A. Nascimento, Mar Pérez-Sanagustin, Isabel Hilliger

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Partners

Team

SIMBA was developed and implemented through a series of collaborative research projects involving researchers from Chile, Brazil, and France. This version of the tool was developed by IRIT with support from the ANR JCJC LASER project (France), Chile's Millennium Nucleus of Higher Education (NMEdSup), and the STIC-AmSud LAFE project.

Contributors

Mar Pérez-Sanagustín

Mar Pérez-Sanagustín

Associate Professor at UT, IRIT

Isabel Hilliger Carrasco

Isabel Hilliger Carrasco

Associate Professor at PUC

André Câmara Alves do Nascimento

André Câmara Alves do Nascimento

Professor at UFRPE University

Jean François Parmentier

Jean François Parmentier

PhD, Lecturer at IPSA

Gabriel Ferretini

Gabriel Ferretini

Post-Doc researcher at IRIT

Lenon Anthony

Lenon Anthony

Internship from UFRPE University at IRIT

Estevan Villalobos

Estevan Villalobos

PhD Student from IRIT

How to cite SIMBA

Hilliger, I., Pérez-Sanagustín, M., Camara, A., Villalobos, De Souza, L., Parmentier, J.F., Ferretini, G. 2025. "SIMBA 2025: Teaching with AI That Make Students Think", Available at: https://github.com/Simba-mentor-ai

About SIMBA

Educational Technology That Actually Helps

SIMBA is an educational chatbot designed to support students' learning strategies. We developed this platform at IRIT as part of the ANR JCJC LASER project, working closely with Chile's Millennium Nucleus of Higher Education (NMEdSup).

Our goal is simple: help students and teachers become better learners. We believe that with the right support and guidance, every student and teacher can develop the critical thinking and self-reflection skills they need to succeed. SIMBA makes this support accessible, personalized, and available whenever students need it most.