1. What is Dialogic and how does it work?
Answer:
Dialogic is a free, open-source app that lets teachers and professional trainers easily build custom role-play scenarios where students interact with a richly responsive, text-driven interlocutor modeled to meet specific learning goals. It combines the pedagogical power of dialogue, role-play, and scenario-based learning with the sophisticated generative capabilities of large language models.
2. How do I set up Dialogic?
Answer: To set up Dialogic, you will need a Google Account and an API key. Follow these steps:
- Get your API key (see our video tutorials for specific instructions). Dialogic supports:
- ChatGPT 4o mini (not free, but inexpensive)
- Google Gemini (free for most)
- Llama hosted by Groq (free)
- Download the Dialogic app to your Google Drive from the provided link.
- Insert your API key and select the chosen model, input your name and email, and configure settings like daily interaction limits and password for student access.
- Create or modify scenarios using the provided Google Sheet template.
- Share the web app link with your students, along with the necessary login details.
For detailed instructions, use our Quick Start Guide or watch the YouTube tutorial.
3. How much does it cost to use Dialogic?
Answer: This depends on which large language model you choose to power the app. Llama is free, as is Google Gemini (for most people).
Generally speaking, there is no better option than OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which is currently only available as a premium service. Dialogic uses the entry-level 4o-mini model, which is inexpensive but still extremely powerful by today’s standards, reliably generating rich, realistic responses. The cost of a single conversation is fractions of a cent. A class of 30 students chatting for 10-20 minutes will cost about 5 cents or less (total). In a month, the average teacher could expect to spend $1 in tokens, with a full school year likely costing around $6-8.
Google Gemini is the second most powerful option. Llama can often get the job done, especially if scenarios are designed effectively. However, if you find that the responses are inadequate, I recommend trying ChatGPT.
The Beta version of the app itself is completely free. For the moment there are no plans to make it a commercial application. Consider donating if you like the app and would like to see it developed further.
4. How can I ensure the privacy and security of my students’ data?
Answer: Dialogic does not store any user data, nor share it with any third parties, ensuring that it is 100% GDPR compliant. Dialogic includes a feature that allows students to easily share conversations via email. Teachers can have the conversations sent to their school’s institutional email address to guarantee maximum privacy and compliance.
5. What subjects are best suited for Dialogic?
Answer: Dialogic can be used across a wide range of subjects. It is particularly effective for:
- Professional training: Simulating real-world scenarios for business skills and communication.
- Language arts and literature: Engaging with characters and exploring themes.
- History and social studies: Conversing with historical figures or exploring alternate historical outcomes.
- Science and mathematics: Applying theoretical concepts to practical problems.
- Foreign languages: Dialogic is an outstanding tool for practicing foreign language skills in realistic contexts.
- Critical thinking and reasoned opposition: Dialogic is also particularly well suited to simulating constructive debates.
The flexibility of Dialogic allows it to be adapted for various educational contexts, making it a valuable tool for both traditional and non-traditional learning environments.
6. Why do I need to choose the “Unsafe” option when deploying Dialogic?
Answer: When you deploy Dialogic, you may notice that Google prompts you with a warning that the app is “unsafe” and requires you to take extra steps to proceed. This happens because Google Apps Script projects, like Dialogic, run on Google’s servers and interact with your Google Drive, Sheets, and other Google services. When an app is published, Google enforces a strict verification process to ensure the app meets their security and privacy standards. This is a good thing!
Because Dialogic is in its Beta phase and is being shared directly with educators (not publicly listed in the Google Workspace Marketplace), it hasn’t gone through Google’s full verification process. As a result, Google marks it as “unsafe” because it hasn’t been reviewed and approved by their team.
Nevertheless, Dialogic is completely safe to use. Here’s why:
- Code transparency: You’re not just using a pre-made app—you’re deploying the code from your own Google Drive. You can review the code yourself before deploying it, ensuring there’s nothing hidden or harmful.
- Your data stays with you: Since you’re deploying the app from your own Google account, all data generated by the app (like scenarios or student interactions) remains within your Google Drive. Dialogic does not send any data to external servers, other than the API calls made to the LLM (which are necessary for the app’s functionality). LLM operators like OpenAI do not store chat data or use it to train their models when transmitted via API.
- Control over permissions: You have complete control over the app and the permissions it requests. If you’re uncomfortable with any permission, you can modify the code or adjust the scope of access before deployment.
If you still have concerns, you can always create a separate Google account with an empty Drive that you use exclusively for Dialogic.
To proceed with deploying Dialogic, follow these steps:
- Authorize access: When prompted, select your Google account.
- Go to “Advanced”: Click on “Advanced” at the bottom of the screen.
- Proceed with caution: Choose “Go to Dialogic Beta (unsafe)” to continue. This step is necessary because the app hasn’t gone through Google’s verification, not because it’s inherently risky.
- Grant permissions: Finally, review and accept the permissions requested by the app. These are necessary for Dialogic to function correctly, such as accessing Google Sheets to store scenarios.
By following these steps, you can confidently deploy Dialogic and begin using it in your classroom.
7. How to create a shortened URL for the Dialogic web app
If you want to create a more user-friendly and easily shareable URL for your Dialogic Web App, you can use a URL shortening service. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
- Deploy your Dialogic web app:
Before shortening the URL, make sure your Dialogic Web App is fully deployed. You’ll need the web app’s deployment URL, which usually looks something like this:https://script.google.com/macros/s/your-web-app-id/exec
(if you’ve forgotten the URL of your web app, you’ll find it by going to Extensions > Apps Script > Deploy > Manage Deployments)
- Choose a URL shortening service
There are several popular URL shortening services you can use, such as:
–Bit.ly: Offers custom URL options and analytics. You can also generate QR codes (very handy).
–TinyURL: Simple and quick, no registration required.
–Google Firebase Dynamic Links: Allows for more advanced features like deep linking.
- Create the shortened URL
Follow these general steps (we’ll use Bit.ly as an example):
- Go to Bit.ly and sign up or log in to your account.
- Paste your Dialogic Web App URL into the URL shortening field.
- Click “Shorten.” Bit.ly will generate a shortened URL that you can copy.
- Optional: You can customize the shortened URL to make it more recognizable (e.g.,
bit.ly/DialogicAppBeta).
Once you have your shortened URL, you can easily share it with your students, colleagues, or anyone else who needs access to your Dialogic Web App. This makes it much easier to distribute and remember the web app link.
7. What languages are supported?
When chatting by text only, Dialogic can work with any language supported by the chosen LLM. In the case of ChatGPT, this includes most major Western languages and some Asian languages, including Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai and Malay.
Teachers will notice a dropdown column to choose a language in the “Scenarios” sheet. Teachers or trainers designing a scenario in one of the available languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Chinese) can further improve the naturalness of the interlocutor’s responses by choosing the corresponding language. These languages are also supported by the app’s speech-to-text functions.
For all other languages (those not on the list), users should choose “English”, and then compose the scenario (scenario, interlocutor role, special instructions, opening message, etc) in the desired language. As long as the scenario (especially the opening message) has been written in the desired language, the interlocutor will continue using the same language. Speech-to-text is not currently available for languages other than those supported natively in the app.
8. Is there a big difference between language models?
Generally speaking, you can expect the flow, naturalness, richness and persuasiveness of interlocutor responses to vary depending on which model is chosen, and this can certainly impact the effectiveness of the scenario. Llama is great for getting started, and in some cases, through effective scenario design, it can be coaxed into delivering longer, more complete responses, when necessary. ChatGPT (commercial, though inexpensive) or Gemini (currently free) are recommended for education settings where it’s important to reliably get the best possible responses.
