Blackboard AI Tools
- ellen bell
Blackboard AI tools are available to staff designated as an instructor. There are two aspects of Blackboard’s AI tools: the staff-facing design assistant that helps you build your course and the student-facing AI conversation tool.
Blackboard AI tools are built using Microsoft Azure OpenAI and they can be recognised by the AI icon 
Remember Blackboard AI tools are experimental, any auto-generated content should be reviewed for bias and accuracy.
AI tools
Autogenerate Modules
This tool will build a course structure of learning modules based on a description or existing course content.
In Course Content choose the plus icon and select Auto-Generate Modules from the drop-down menu.
This open up the AI design assistant, here you can add a description or Select course items to inform the generation a set of learning modules.
For instance you can search for and select items such as a course handbook or PowerPoint presentations to inform the learning modules.
You can chose a Title Prefix e.g. Week, whether to include images or descriptions the Complexity (from Undergraduate though to PhD), number of Learning modules, then select Generate.
This will generate your learning modules, if the module selection is not appropriate you can select Generate to regenerate the selection or click on the circular arrows to re-generate an image.
When you are happy with the choices select the check boxes beside the modules you want to use and select Add to Course.
The learning modules will appear in the Course content area of your module, ready for you to add your content.
NB you can use the ellipsis to edit any of the modules
Assignment and Rubric generation
This tool will generate an Assignment prompt and/or a rubric based on a description or existing course content.
In Course Content choose the plus icon and select Create from the drop-down menu.
This brings up the Create Items menu, scroll down to Assessment and select Assignment.
This brings up the Assignment editor, select Auto-generate assignment
Define the Assignment: add a description or Select course items to inform the AI, e.g. select presentations or journal articles that reflect the topic of assessment.
Chose the Desired cognitive level e.g. Evaluate or Inspire me for selection of levels. Then chose Complexity on a scale from undergraduate to PhD. Now select Generate.
This will give you a number of assignment prompts and titles with relevant cognitive level (if not specified before hand). Select the most appropriate prompt and click Add.
This adds the prompt and the title to the Assignment editor, edit and click Save when you are happy with the prompt.
To add a rubric, click on the cog to adjust assignment settings:
Scroll down to Additional Tools and select Add marking rubric
This brings up the Rubric editor, select Generate.
This brings up the Generate Rubric AI assistant, select the type of Rubric and add any descriptors that you want to assess:
Then chose Complexity on a scale from undergraduate to PhD and the number of rows and columns. Now select Generate.
This generates a fully editable rubric, click on the different areas to edit and click Save when you are happy with the edits.
Click Add to add it to your assignment, then click Save.
Your assignment and rubric have been generated, adjust other assignment settings such as due date and make it visible to students. Students can access it in the normal way:
Autogenerate Journal and Discussion topics
These tools will generate a journal or discussion prompt based on a description or existing course content.
In Course Content choose the plus icon and select Create from the drop-down menu.
This brings up the Create Items menu, scroll down to Participation and Engagement and select Journal (or Discussion)
This brings up the editor, select Auto-Generate journal (or Discussion)
Define the journal (or Discussion): add a description or Select course items to inform the AI
Chose the Desired cognitive level e.g. Evaluate or Inspire me for selection of levels. Then chose Complexity on a scale from undergraduate to PhD. Now select Generate.
This will give you a number of journal (or discussion ) prompts and titles with relevant cognitive level (if not specified before hand). Select the most appropriate prompt and click Add.
This adds the prompt and the title to the editor, click Save when you are happy with the text.
Make the journal or discussion visible and students can access it in the normal way:
Test generation
This tool will generate a set of questions based on a description or existing course content.
In Course Content choose the plus icon and select Create from the drop-down menu.
This brings up the Create Items menu, scroll down to Assessment and select Test
This brings up the Test editor, enter the title of the test and any intro text (select + then select Add text), then select the +
Select Auto-generate question from the menu
This brings up the AI assistant …
Define questions: either add a description or select course items e.g. presentations or journal articles to inform the question generation
Next use the drop-down to select Question type or use Inspire me! to generate a mix of question types.
Use the sliders to set Complexity e.g. undergraduate to PhD level, then select the number of questions in the test and click on Generate.
A set of questions are generated, use the check-boxes to select the questions you wish to use (these can be edited in the test editor). Then click Add to Assessment.
Remember these questions need reviewed for accuracy and bias. You can edit any of the questions by clicking on the ellipsis and selecting Edit:
Edit the question and assessment settings (cog) in the normal way. When you are happy with the test, change visibility to Visible to students.
Students can then complete the test in the normal way.
Autogenerate Question bank
Select Question banks from Details and Action panel on the side of Course Content:
This opens the AI assistant …
Define questions: either add a description or select course items e.g. presentations or journal articles to inform the question generation.
Next use the drop-down to select Question type or use Inspire me! to generate a mix of types.
Use the sliders to set Complexity e.g. undergraduate to PhD level, then select the number of questions in the test and click on Generate.
A set of questions are generated, use the check-boxes to select the questions you wish to use (these can be edited in the question bank editor) and select Add to Question Bank.
This will generate your question bank, select the bank to review the questions for accuracy and bias.
Use the ellipsis to edit your questions.
Auto generate images
Anywhere you see the image icon, e.g. in the document editor, you can auto-generate an image.
Click on the icon to add an image.
This opens up the Insert Image dialogue box, in the Image Source drop-down select Generate Images.
This opens up the AI assistant, enter the description of the image and select Generate (you may need to play with the prompt and generate a few times)
Select the best image and select Next.
This takes you to the image editor where you can scale and crop, click Next.
Edit file options and select Save to add your image to the document
This adds the image to the document.
AI Conversation tool
The AI Conversation tool is a student-facing chatbot. It allows students to participate in discussions with an AI persona. You select the type of conversation for the students to engage in: socratic questioning or role-play, then define a topic/ scenario and persona.
In Socratic Questioning, the AI persona encourages students to think critically through continuous questioning, whereas the Role-play option allows students to play out a scenario with the AI persona.
To set up an AI Conversation …
In Course Content choose the plus icon and select Create from the drop-down menu.
This brings up the Create Items menu, scroll down to Participation and Engagement and select AI Conversation.
This brings up the AI conversation editor (note it is a formative assessment). You need to complete three steps to set up your Socratic questioning or Role-play conversations.
Step 1: Select the conversation type:
Socratic questioning or Role-play
Step 2: Student instructions for Socratic questioning
Enter the key question you wish to discuss, make it clear and open-ended. Then click Next
Step 2: Student instructions for Role play.
Enter a scenario for your role-play; state clearly the role of the student, the role of the AI persona and the aim of the role-play, then click Next.
Step 3: Define your AI persona
You can be specific and use a historical figure or enter more general traits for the persona. You have the option to edit the image, change the name, describe the persona’s personality, occupation even mood.
Choose the complexity of responses (scale runs undergraduate to PhD), then click Save
NB If you are choosing role-play, make sure your character reflects the persona and scenario described in step 2 :
Then Preview chat to check the conversation is working as expected:
Enter dummy student responses to test the conversation, then reset the chat
Give the Conversation an appropriate name then use the cog to adjust the settings, it is a formative assessment by default, so you can assign points, due dates etc.
When you are happy with the settings and functionality, make the conversation visible to students. It will be listed in Course content with the AI conversation icon.
Students can then start interacting with the AI persona:
Socratic Questioning student view
Role-play student view
Links
Related content
Centre for Digital Learning Enhancement
ulster.ac.uk/learningengancement/cdle