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AI Mentor

The AI Mentor provides real-time guidance, hints, and coaching during simulations to enhance learning without giving away answers.

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What is the AI Mentor?

Your personal crisis management coach that:

Provides Hints

Suggests what to consider without telling you what to do

Explains Concepts

Clarifies crisis management principles

Asks Questions

Prompts critical thinking

Offers Frameworks

Provides structured approaches

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When to Use the AI Mentor

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Ideal Situations

Stuck on a Decision: Can’t choose between options
Unclear Situation: Don’t understand what’s happening
Need Framework: Want structured approach
Learning Mode: Want to understand the “why”
After Feedback: Want deeper explanation

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When NOT to Use

The AI Mentor won’t:
  • Tell you the “correct” answer directly
  • Make decisions for you
  • Do your thinking
  • Guarantee high scores

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How to Interact

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Accessing the Mentor

1

Open Mentor Panel

Click AI Mentor icon or tab (usually right side of screen)
2

Type Your Question

Enter question in chat box
3

Receive Guidance

AI responds with contextual help
4

Apply Insights

Use guidance to inform your decision

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Effective Questions

Specific and Thoughtful:
  • “What factors should I consider when deciding whether to evacuate?”
  • “Can you explain the trade-offs between options A and B?”
  • “What crisis management framework applies to stakeholder communication?”
  • “Why might transparency be important in this situation?”
  • “What are the risks of moving too quickly vs. too slowly here?”

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Types of Guidance

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Hint System

Graduated hints from subtle to more direct: Level 1 - Gentle Nudge: “Consider who might be affected by each option.” Level 2 - Specific Focus: “Think about employee safety vs. business continuity in your evaluation.” Level 3 - Framework Suggestion: “Try using a risk matrix to compare the options systematically.”

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Conceptual Explanations

Mentor explains principles: Example: 
User: "Why is stakeholder communication so important?"

Mentor: "In crisis management, stakeholders need information to:
1. Make their own decisions (employees deciding whether to come to work)
2. Trust your organization (transparency builds credibility)
3. Support your response (they can help if informed)
4. Avoid panic (uncertainty often worse than bad news)

Consider which stakeholders need what information in this scenario."

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Socratic Questioning

Mentor asks questions to guide thinking: Example: 
User: "Should I issue a public statement now?"

Mentor: "Good question. Let's think through this:
- What information do you have confirmed vs. unconfirmed?
- What might happen if you wait for more details?
- What might happen if you communicate with partial information?
- Who needs this information most urgently?

What's your thinking based on these considerations?"

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Framework Provision

Mentor offers structured approaches: Example: 
User: "How do I prioritize these actions?"

Mentor: "Try the Eisenhower Matrix:
- Urgent & Important: Do immediately
- Important but Not Urgent: Schedule
- Urgent but Not Important: Delegate
- Neither: Eliminate

Which category does each action fall into?"

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Mentor Capabilities

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Context-Aware

The AI understands:
  • Current simulation scenario
  • Your role (if assigned)
  • Recent events
  • Decisions you’ve made
  • Resources available
Example: The mentor knows you’re in a cyberattack scenario, so responses reference cybersecurity principles.

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Adaptive

Guidance adjusts based on:
  • Your questions (understands what you’re struggling with)
  • Your performance (if you’re doing well, less hand-holding)
  • Simulation difficulty
  • Learning objectives

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Pedagogical

Designed for learning:
  • Encourages critical thinking
  • Reinforces crisis management principles
  • Points to relevant resources
  • Builds confidence through guided discovery

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Advanced Mentor Use

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Exploring “What If”

Use Case: Want to understand consequences without committing Example: 
User: "If I chose option A, what would likely happen?"

Mentor: "I can't tell you the exact outcome, but let's think through it:
- Option A prioritizes speed over thoroughness
- In crisis management, quick action can prevent escalation
- But hasty decisions sometimes miss critical factors
- What information might you need to make option A successful?"

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Debating Decisions

Use Case: Torn between two options Example: 
User: "I'm split between evacuating now (A) or waiting for fire department assessment (B)."

Mentor: "Let's compare:
Option A (Evacuate Now):
- Pros: Maximum safety, no delay
- Cons: Potential false alarm, business disruption
- Key consideration: Can you accept disruption for safety?

Option B (Wait for Assessment):
- Pros: More information, measured response
- Cons: Risk if situation worsens quickly
- Key consideration: How fast might conditions deteriorate?

Which risk concerns you more?"

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Learning Frameworks

Use Case: Want to learn general principles Example: 
User: "How do experts make decisions under uncertainty?"

Mentor: "Crisis decision-making under uncertainty often follows:

1. Gather available info quickly
2. Make reasonable assumptions (state them clearly)
3. Choose option robust to multiple scenarios
4. Implement decisively
5. Monitor and adjust

This is called 'satisficing' - good enough decision now beats perfect decision too late.

How might this apply to your current situation?"

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Mentor Limitations

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What It Won’t Do

The AI Mentor will NOT:
  • Give you the answer directly
  • Make decisions for you
  • Guarantee you’ll score perfectly
  • Override your judgment
  • Do the work of thinking critically

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Why These Limitations Matter

The goal is learning, not scoring.
  • Discovering answers yourself creates deeper understanding
  • Struggling with decisions mirrors real crises
  • Your reasoning matters more than the “right” answer
  • Real crises don’t have an AI telling you what to do

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Mentor Best Practices

Use the mentor early when you need direction, not as a last resort after guessing.
If the mentor asks you something, answer it. This dialogue is how you learn.
Don’t just read the mentor’s response - use it to analyze the situation.
Understanding principles helps you in future scenarios, not just this one.
Challenge yourself to think first, then consult mentor if needed.

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Mentor Use Scenarios

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Scenario 1: New to Crisis Management

Situation: First simulation, unfamiliar with concepts Good Approach:
  1. Ask mentor for relevant frameworks early
  2. Request explanations of terminology
  3. Use mentor to validate thinking
  4. Build confidence through guided exploration

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Scenario 2: Experienced but Uncertain

Situation: Know concepts but this specific scenario is tricky Good Approach:
  1. Share your thinking with mentor
  2. Ask for perspectives you might be missing
  3. Use mentor to debate options
  4. Confirm you’re applying principles correctly

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Scenario 3: Learning from Mistakes

Situation: Made a poor decision, want to understand why Good Approach:
  1. Review feedback first
  2. Ask mentor to explain the principle
  3. Discuss what you would do differently
  4. Apply learning to next decision

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Next Steps

Making Decisions

Apply mentor guidance to decisions

Timeline Events

Understand scenario events