An oral defense layer for written work
Understanding is the new assignment.
Tolus turns written submissions into short voice defenses, then returns transcripts, flags, and a score teachers can stand behind.
The Treaty of Westphalia
Three to five exchanges. One score.
- 01
The student submits.
Submission · HIST‑202The Treaty of Westphalia“…the Peace of Westphalia established sovereignty as the organizing principle of the European order.”
1,240 words · Google Classroom - 02
Tolus conducts the defense.
Tolus“In your own words, without using the word ‘sovereignty,’ what changed in 1648?”
K. Adeyemi“Rulers stopped having to answer to a higher religious authority…”
→ Defined sovereignty without using it. + - 03
The teacher receives a score.
Transcript →Pass · 7.8/10Adeyemi, K.
A score the teacher can stand behind.
Every defense produces a weighted breakdown across the rubric the teacher already uses. Each sub-score cites a moment from the conversation, so the number is auditable.
The Treaty of Westphalia
- Conceptual clarity (40%)Defined sovereignty without parroting the essay; explained the 1648 settlement in own words.8/10
- Evidence & citation (30%)Identified the relevant clause when pressed; hesitated on the second follow-up before recovering.7/10
- Transfer (20%)Produced an unprompted limit on Westphalian sovereignty (humanitarian intervention).8/10
- Precision of language (10%)Defined cuius regio, eius religio without using either word.9/10
A proctor, not a grader.
Tolus does not replace the rubric. It supplies the missing column, the one that asks whether the student can defend what they turned in.
Score the work, not the words.
“Rulers stopped having to answer to a higher religious authority.”
8/10“Westphalia instantiated the juridical paradigm of territorial sovereignty.”
6/10→ Plain comprehension outscores recited vocabulary.
Catch contested work without accusing.
ReviewOkonkwo, D.⚠ Defined the key term using the term itself on exchange 3.
→ The flag cites the moment; the full transcript is attached. You decide.
Drops straight into Google Classroom.
Student Essay Quiz Defense Adeyemi, K. B+ 88 7.8/10 Okonkwo, D. A− 91 Review Grades post back to the Classroom gradebook automatically.
Why not just detect it?
Detection is a probability. Tolus is an evidence trail.
The detector
Tolus
“Rulers stopped having to answer to a higher religious authority. Whatever the ruler of a territory decided, that was it.”
What teachers and admins ask first.
Is Tolus an AI detector?
No. Tolus does not classify whether text was AI-generated. Tolus runs a short oral defense and verifies whether the student can explain and defend the work they submitted.
Who is Tolus for?
Middle school, high school, and higher-ed teachers who assign written work and want a defensible signal that the student understands what they turned in. It also helps department heads cut down on unfounded AI accusations.
Is Tolus a Turnitin alternative?
It depends what you use Turnitin for. For source-similarity checks, Turnitin still does that work. Tolus is the alternative when the question you need answered is whether the student understands the submission.
How does AI oral defense work?
After the student submits written work, Tolus generates three to five voice questions specific to that submission. The student answers conversationally, the AI follows up where reasoning is shallow, and the session produces a transcript and rubric-based score.
What does the teacher receive after a defense?
A weighted score broken out by the teacher's own rubric, the full transcript, and a one-line citation for every sub-score so the verdict is auditable. If the defense is contested, it is flagged for review.
Does Tolus work with Google Classroom?
Yes. Tolus reads assignments and roster from Google Classroom and writes the score back to the Classroom gradebook. The teacher does not need to leave Classroom to act on the result.
How long does a defense take?
A typical defense takes two to four minutes. Three to five voice exchanges, scored as soon as the student finishes.
Is Tolus fair to students?
The rubric belongs to the teacher. Tolus scores only what the student explicitly said, with no gap-filling and no hints. Every sub-score cites a quoted moment from the conversation, and the teacher can review every defense.
Can students cheat the oral defense?
Defenses are live, voice-based, and follow-ups are generated from the student's own submission. A student who cannot explain their work in their own words receives a low score, regardless of how the work was originally produced.
How is Tolus different from AI writing detectors?
AI detectors estimate whether text was machine-generated. They produce a probability, not evidence. Tolus produces evidence: the student's own voice, the questions they were asked, the answers they gave, and a rubric verdict drawn from the transcript.
Score the work.
Bring one of your own assignments. See the transcript and the score Tolus returns.
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