Instructions to Create Discussions Using AI Design Assistant

The Blackboard Ultra AI Design Assistant tool can help instructors with building content for their courses. One of the features of the AI design assistant tool is the ability for it to generate discussion prompts . These prompts require the use of cognitive processes such as analyze or create in their response. This instructs students to use the knowledge they have acquired and high-level explanations in their discussion responses. 

Step 1

Select the In the course content area, click on the purple plus icon purple lineto begin the process of using the AI Design assistant . This icon is located on the Course Content pageby creating a new discussion. 

Step 2

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Step 4 

Step 5

Once you click the Auto-generate button, you will be brought to the discussion generator panel. You can adjust some settings to customize the prompt that is generated for your discussion:

1. Description:  The prompts are based on the title of the course and the description box. You can enter a set of keywords or text (such as text from a document from which you would like the discussion to be based). 
2. Select course items: click the box next to course item(s) that you want to be used as context for the creation of the prompt
3. Desired Cognitive Level: Use the dropdown menu to select which cognitive skill from Bloom's Taxonomy the prompts will use: "Inspire me" (combination of all options) or apply, analyze, create, and evaluate.
4. Complexity: This setting is meant to adjust the level of sophistication for the vocabulary and content terms used in the generated prompt.  While this feature does sometimes render more complex results, it can be inconsistent and we hope to see this feature further developed and refined in the future. 
5. Generate Discussion title: By default a title for the discussion is created,  if you want to chose then name you can uncheck the box.

Once you have selected the prompt you want to use, select the Generate button.

Example of Generated Prompts

Step 5 notes the prompt areas where you enter/manipulate your prompts on the left side of the page. The right side of the page generates discussion ideas for your perusal. You may wish to select an option that is generated, and then click the Add button (located on the lower right-side of the generated content).

Adding Settings 

Once you have selected and/or modify your discussion prompt, you may want to make some changes to settings relating to the discussion. The Discussion Settings are located on the right-side of the Discussion Content page. Click on the setting wheelto access setting features. Some key discussion settings features include:

• setting the due date and the amount of submission attempts
• setting the form of grade system (points, percentage, complete/incomplete, SU letter)
• setting the maximum points 
• deciding to automatically post grade

Remember to click the Save button to save all changes made.