Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing education, and Blackboard Ultra has a number of built-in AI tools to spark creativity and save you time. With the AI Design Assistant and the addition of AI Conversations with role-playing capabilities, instructors now have powerful tools to enhance course design, engage students, and streamline teaching tasks. Let’s explore how these AI-driven features can transform your course experience.
How to Use Ultra’s Generative AI Features
Generative AI is embedded in multiple places throughout your course. The Auto Generate Items button, featured below, indicates that module is a place where you can use AI to assist your course building process:
Icon indicating generative AI is available
When you deploy the generative AI engine, Ultra will ask you for inputs to create your content or images. In most places, you can either type in, copy/paste instructions, or select content (like your syllabus) from another area of your course. The AI Design Assistant will then use this information to generate your content or images. For assignment and module content, you will also be asked how difficult you want the content to be, as well as the cognitive level of the content: apply, analyze, evaluate, or create:
Screenshot of inputs for generative AI engine on assignment builder
Let’s take a closer look at where in your course you can use this time-saving and creativity-sparking tool.
1. Course Structure Made Simple
Establishing a coherent course structure can set the tone for your students’ learning journey. With the AI assistant, learning module titles, descriptions, and even images can be auto-generated based on your course objectives. This feature not only saves time but ensures a polished, organized course design from the outset.
To use this tool, select the + button in your Course Content page and select Auto Generate Modules:
How to access AI module creator
This will open up the AI module editor where you can input a description of your course in the AI module builder or select content within your course to consider in building the modules. From here you can edit accordingly and select the options that you want:
View of AI module editor
Once the modules are created in your Course Content area by selecting Add to Course, you can move them around as normal and add content to them.
2. Engaging Discussions in a Snap
Creating discussion prompts that stimulate thoughtful student interaction is key to deeper learning. The AI assistant analyzes your course content and objectives to generate relevant discussion topics, making it easier to foster engaging conversations. You’re free to review and tweak these prompts to best match your instructional goals.
After selecting New Discussion to create a new discussion question, you will have the option to use AI to assist. Below is a view of the Auto-Generate Discussion editor. You will be able to enter a description for the content or you can select course items to pull content directly from course materials like your syllabus, presentations, etc.:
View of the AI Design Assistant in Discussions
After choosing which items you want and adding them to your Discussion board, you can edit and set up assessment parameters (graded or not, etc.) as usual.
3. Automated Test Question Generation
Need assessment questions that align with your course objectives? Blackboard’s AI assistant can auto-generate test questions for you, making quiz and exam creation less time consuming. From multiple-choice to short-answer questions, the AI tool helps ensure that each assessment reflects the material covered in the course. There are two places you can use the auto-generate feature to create test questions: in the test question bank or on the test as you build it out.
Auto Generate feature available in the Test Question Bank module
Auto Generate feature in the Test editor
Once you select the auto-generate feature from either of these screen, you will be taken to the editing panel where you can input the parameters for that question or bank:
Test question auto generate editor
Once you create the bank or single question, you can edit to meet your needs.
4. Customizable Assignment Prompts
The AI assistant can generate assignment prompts based on course content, creating meaningful tasks for students that reinforce key topics. By refining and approving the auto-generated assignments, you can tailor the tasks to align with your educational goals and desired outcomes. You can find the auto-generate feature at the top of the Assignment editor page:
Auto generate option in the Assignment builder
After entering the auto-generate mode, you will be prompted to input your assignment parameters, which will allow you to tailor your assignment to your course outcomes:
Enter assignment description into the AI assistant to align with outcomes
5. Customized Visuals with Image Generation
Thanks to the AI design assistant, you don’t have to be a graphic designer to create visually appealing course elements. Based on descriptions you provide, the AI assistant can craft images that elevate the overall look and feel of your course, making it more inviting and cohesive. There are a number of places you can use Blackboard’s AI design assistant to generate images. Module cover images and documents are two of those places. Below is an example of the image generator in use in the Documents module in Ultra. Select Generate Images and then type in a description of what kind of image you’d like:
AI generation of images in the Documents module
Select your image, select Next, and size accordingly to insert into your course.
6. Effortless Rubric Creation
Grading becomes much more straightforward with clear rubrics. Blackboard’s AI assistant allows you to generate rubrics based on assignment instructions, ensuring that your grading criteria are fair, consistent, and transparent. By adjusting the auto-generated rubric, you can refine the criteria to fit your unique assessment standards.
In the Assignment Settings panel, scroll down to the rubric option:
How to add a rubric to your assignment
Then select Generate to use the AI assistant:
The Generate button will bring you to the AI editor
Now you can tailor your rubric to your assignment’s parameters and change how many columns you’d like:
Input your desired assignment parameters for an AI generated rubric
Once completed, you can attach the rubric to your assignment and make any final edits.
7. AI Conversations and Role-Playing
One of Blackboard’s newest and most innovative features is AI Conversations, complete with role-playing capabilities. This tool allows instructors to set up simulated conversations and scenarios for students, enhancing learning through practice and engagement. For instance, in a course on healthcare, students could role-play as a patient and healthcare provider, gaining practical experience in patient communication. Instructors can craft scenarios based on course objectives, while the AI generates realistic dialogue to support student engagement and understanding.
To launch this feature, select the + in your Course Content page and scroll down to find AI Conversation under Participation and Engagement:
How to access the AI Conversation feature
Once in that module, you can indicate whether you’d like students to engage in an AI-drive Socratic Questioning activity or Role Play:
Setting up the parameters for an AI Conversation
You will then be able to enter the parameters of the conversation based on whether you chose Socratic Questioning or Role Play. You can find out more about the specifics here.
This AI-driven interaction can be tailored for a variety of subjects—business students can simulate client meetings, history students can engage in historical role-play, and language learners can practice conversations in real-world scenarios. By offering these immersive experiences, AI Conversations deepen understanding and prepare students for real-world applications of their knowledge.
Why Use Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant and AI Conversations?
The combined power of Blackboard’s AI Design Assistant and AI Conversations brings convenience and engagement to course design. These tools automate time-consuming tasks, allowing you to dedicate more time to meaningful interactions with your students. Plus, you retain full control over the content, with the ability to review, edit, and approve each AI-generated item to align with your course vision. Embracing these AI tools can streamline your course setup, enrich student engagement, and ultimately enhance the learning experience.
If you’re interested in exploring these features more, you can search the TIPS page or Blackboard’s site for additional guidance or set up a session with a TIPS consultant.