Staff Guide: Find out what Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant can do, and the tools that are currently available at the University.
What is the Blackboard Artificial Intelligence (AI) Design Assistant?
Blackboard have partnered with Microsoft to develop a suite of AI tools to support course content creation, assessment, Instructor efficiency and student engagement. These tools are collectively known as the Blackboard AI Design Assistant.
Select the two stars icon or Generate button to use AI Design Assistant to generate learning modules, discussions, test questions and more.
To encourage transparency, we encourage the disclosure of any AI usage in the preparation of materials.
See Anthology’s AI Design Assistant Guide (external) for full details. Raise a ServiceLine ticket if you’d like more support or to request a demo for your team.
Responsible AI in Blackboard
As a university-supported tool, Blackboard has institutional safeguards in place to make sure your educational content is protected. This includes the use of the AI design assistant. Blackboard prioritises lawful, ethical and responsible use of AI and has established a set of trustworthy AI principles that focus on putting people in control. As the subject matter expert, you have complete control over what you choose to add to your course.
Read more about Anthology’s Trustworthy AI principles.
Human-centred use of AI:
The content generated by the AI Design Assistant may be inaccurate or biased. Make sure you check and evaluate the output. You are always in control of which AI suggestions you choose to use in your course.
General Tool Settings
The AI Design Assistant tools are available to the following course roles: instructor, instructor-hidden, teaching assistant and module administrator.
Most AI Design Assistant tools use the following information to generate outputs.
- The description box allows you to provide information about your course to help the AI produce relevant learning modules. For example you could include information about the subject of the course.
- Select course items allows you to provide the AI with relevant documents from your Blackboard Ultra course. The AI will then ‘read’ these items and use that information to generate learning modules. For example you could select the course handbook.
- The complexity slider allows you to indicate the level of study you are creating the modules for. There are ten levels of complexity for AI-generated content; levels 7-10 are appropriate for university-level courses.
For more information, see Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant settings guide.
Guides to individual Design Assistant Tools
Discussion Generation
The discussion generator suggests discussion topics based on your course’s title and description.
To generate discussions in the course content area, select the add content button (purple plus), then Create, and then select Discussion (alternatively, in the Discussion Tab, select New Discussion). Select the two stars icon (auto-generate discussion button).
You can generate additional outputs by updating the description, selecting course items, changing the desired cognitive level and the complexity.
Select the required output and then Add to your course where all elements that have been generated can be edited. Select Save to retain any changes.
For more information, see Blackboard’s guide to AI Generated Discussions.
Journal Generation
The Journal generator suggests journals ideas based on your course’s title and description.
To generate a journal in the course content area, select the add content button (purple plus), then Create, and then select Journal. Select the two stars icon (auto-generate discussion button).
You can generate additional outputs by updating the description, selecting course items, changing the desired cognitive level and the complexity.
Select the required output and then Add to your course where all elements that have been generated can be edited. Select Save to retain any changes.
For more information, see Blackboard’s guide to AI Generated Discussions.
Question Bank Generation
The Question Bank generator suggests a bank of questions ideas based on your course’s title and description.
To generate a Question Bank, under the Details and Actions menu, select Manage Banks, then the add content button (purple plus), then Auto-Generate.
You can generate additional outputs by updating the description, selecting course items, changing the question types, complexity and number of questions (1-20). We suggest request more questions than you need so you have more opportunity to review generated questions.
Select the questions you want to keep and then Add to Question Bank. You will be taken to your new question bank where you can further review and edit these questions. Select Save to retain any changes.
For more information, see Blackboard’s guide to AI Generated Discussions.
Test Question Generation
The Test Question generator suggests test questions based on your course’s title and description.
To generate questions in the course content area, select the add content button (purple plus), then Create, and then select Test. Select the add content button (purple plus), then Auto-Generate question.
You can generate additional outputs by updating the description, selecting course items, changing the question types, complexity and number of questions (1-20). We suggest request more questions than you need so you have more choices to review.
Select all the questions you want to keep and then Add to Assessment. You will be taken to your new test where you can further review and edit these questions. Select Save to retain any changes.
For more information, see Blackboard’s guide to AI Generated Discussions.
Assignment Prompt Generation
The Assignment generator suggests assignments based on your course’s title and description. We would suggest using this function for formative assessments only at this time.
To generate assignment prompts in the course content area, select the add content button (purple plus), then Create, and then select Assignment. Select the two stars icon (auto-generate discussion button).
You can generate additional outputs by updating the description (we would suggest some course outcomes written here), selecting course items (e.g. items which you would like students to be reviewing in their assignment), changing the desired cognitive level and the complexity.
Select the required output and then Add to your course where all elements that have been generated can be edited. Select Save to retain any changes.
For more information, see Blackboard’s guide to AI Generated Assignments.
Rubric Generation
The Rubric generator suggests offer a structured framework to assess student work based on your course’s title and description. We would suggest using this function for formative assessments only at this time.
To generate rubrics, in an assignment, select the cog icon (settings), then scroll down to select Add marking rubric, and then select Generate.
You can generate additional outputs by updating the description, rubric type, complexity and other layout options. Then selecting Generate.
Then select Continue and you will be able to edit all elements of the rubric. Select Save to retain any changes.
For more information, see Blackboard’s guide to AI Generated Rubrics.
AI Conversations
AI Conversations are a great way to engage students in their learning. We recommend you test your conversations in your Blackboard Sandbox before sharing with students. For more information or support with setting up an AI conversation, please raise a Serviceline ticket.
To access AI Conversations, in the Course content area, select the add content button (purple plus), then Create, and then select AI Conversations (under Participation and Engagement heading). Select the two stars icon (auto-generate discussion button).
To generate questions, in the Course content area, select the add content button (purple plus), then Create, and then select Test. Select the add content button (purple plus).
Step 1 is to select the Conversation type:
- Socratic Questioning.
- Role Play.
Step 2 is providing student instructions.
Step 3 is to create the AI persona.
You can then preview the AI Conversation to ensure you are getting expected responses. You can also review student interactions of any published conversation.
For more information, see Blackboard’s guide to AI Conversations.
AI Structure Generator
The AI structure generator suggests options for the image, title and descriptions of the learning modules that make up your course. You can choose to use any or all of these outputs.
To access the AI Structure Generator in the course content area, select the add content button (purple plus) and then select the two stars icon (auto-generate modules).
You can generate additional outputs by updating the description, selecting course items, adding a title prefix, allowing image and description generation as well as changing the complexity and number of learning modules. Then pressing Generate.
Select the required learning modules and then Add to your course where all generated elements can be edited. Select Save to retain any changes.
For more information, see Blackboard’s guide to AI Generated Structure.
