AI Design Assistant for Ultra Instructors
| Excerpt |
|---|
One of the new features available in the Ultra course view is the Blackboard AI Design Assistant. This generative AI interface can quickly create outlines for course modules, grading rubrics, sample test questions, and other course content based on text descriptions copied from the course syllabus, textbook, etc. |
| Table of Contents | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
What is the AI Design Assistant?
The AI design assistant is powered by Microsoft’s Azure AI technology and developed within Anthology’s Trustworthy AI framework. This tool was designed to allow instructors to quickly create and design the basic outline of a course. The design assistant is seamlessly a new tool built into Blackboard ultra courses to assist instructors in designing and developing their course site. Its goal is to make creating Blackboard courses easier and faster. It is integrated into the Ultra workflow and available for any instructor who does not know where to start in structuring their course content. in multiple locations of the course.
Instructors are free to choose if and when to leverage this tool. It's important to note that the AI Design assistant simply generates content based on your input. Your It only adds elements to your course when you select and apply them. All output should be verified by the instructor and can be edited.
The tool is powered by Microsoft’s Azure AI technology and developed within Anthology’s Trustworthy AI framework. Your input and any course generated content is not stored by Anthology, Blackboard, or Microsoft, which means that it is not used by the design assistant in future course content generation. This The Trustworthy AI framework protects your intellectual property and keeps you in control of your course content.
Accessing the Design Assistant
The AI Design Assistant is only available in Ultra courses and organizations. Instructors, TAs, Course Builders, and organization Leaders will be able to access the design assistant. Users in the Student, organization Participant, or Grader roles do not have access to the design assistant or any AI tools.
In course content areas where the design assistant is available, the content creation menu will feature a button labeled "Auto-Generate [item]" alongside the usual options to create, copy, or upload a file. Selecting the Auto-Generate button will launch a new session with the design assistant where users can write descriptions and set parameters to draft new course content items.
The AI design assistant uses the course name, description and learning objectives of location where you access the AI Design Assistant will determine the text it uses to generate content. The generator often relies on the course name. In some locations it uses the text of the object you're using to access the generator (as with the Question Bank and Rubric generator) and in other cases it more strongly depends on a description you provide (like in the Module Generator).
the course that you provide and generates a recommended outline of the course structure using modules, descriptions and AI generated graphics (powered by ). This starting point streamlines the administrative process and frees up time to fine tune the essential course content in a meaningful way to promote student engagement and success. Instructors are always in control of the generated content.
Create Course Modules
Images with the AI Design Assistant
The AI Design Assistant
| title | Click here to read more... |
|---|
| Column | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
In a new blank Ultra course, select the Auto-Generate Modules > |
| Column | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
If you already have course content, you can click on the purple plus where you would like to Auto-Generate Modules, and select it from the menu.
|
Add detailed information about your course. You can copy and paste course objectives, course description and topics to cover from your syllabus. The more detailed the information, the more likely the generated course outline will be pertinent for your course structure.
Select "include images" if you would like the AI design assistant to randomly generate images based on your description.
Move the slider to select an appropriate content complexity for your course.
| title | See more detailed information on complexity levels |
|---|
interacts with images in two ways. The AI will auto-generate search terms for the repository of stock images, which is now licensed for use in Blackboard in select locations such as the Course Banner and on Modules.
The system will also create AI-generated images based on the title of the course and other prompts you provide. These images are created by the system each time you click the generate button. They are licensed for use within Blackboard.
Complexity Settings
One of the settings you'll find in the AI tools is a complexity setting which attempt to adjust sentence complexity and vocabulary, based on the level of the learner set by the user. To achieve outputs of the highest complexity, the AI prompt must be suitably complex. The complexity ranges from 1-10 and
matchesis design to match specific educational levels:
- Early Elementary School (Grades K-2): The initial years of formal education where young children begin learning fundamental skills like reading, writing, and basic math.
- Late Elementary School (Grades 3-5): The later stage of elementary education where students continue to build on their foundational skills and explore more complex subjects.
- Early Middle School (Grades 6-7): The beginning of secondary education, marked by a transition from elementary school and introduction to more subject-specific learning.
- Late Middle School (Grades 8-9): The later part of secondary education where students further develop their academic skills before entering high school.
- Early High School (Grades 10-11): The first years of high school when students start studying more advanced subjects and preparing for higher education or careers.
- Late High School (Grade 12, AP or IB courses): The final year of high school, often involving advanced coursework and exams like AP (Advanced Placement) or IB (International Baccalaureate) before graduation.
- Undergraduate Lower Division (Freshman and Sophomore years): The initial two years of university education where students explore a variety of subjects and fulfill core requirements.
- Undergraduate Upper Division (Junior and Senior years): The latter two years of university education focused on more specialized courses and often involving independent research or projects.
- Graduate Level (Master’s and early PhD coursework): Advanced studies beyond a bachelor's degree, encompassing coursework and research leading to a master's degree or initial stages of a PhD.
- Advanced PhD Level (Dissertation research, specialized topics): The highest level of academic pursuit involving in-depth research, specialized studies, and the completion of a doctoral dissertation
Move the slider to select the number of modules you would like generated and then select the Generate button.
The generated modules will appear in the panel with images. Select which modules you would like to use by ticking the box and select "Add to Course". Once you do this, the modules you selected will populate in your content area where you can edit and add additional content.
Once the course content has been added, instructors can then use the AI design assistant to create rubrics and generate quiz questions based on the added course content.
For further information and examples of generating course modules with the AI Design Assistant, see our full Answers page on the AI Module Generator- .
Common Questions
| Expand | ||
|---|---|---|
| ||
The AI software that is used to generate rubrics in Blackboard is certainly limited in some areas compared to other current AI tools on the market. However, the reason for the limitations can actually serve as one of its selling points, based on your goals and priorities. Blackboard's AI tools do not "learn" as they are used, like other AI tools. The information that the rubric generator uses is not stored and therefore is not used to generate future rubrics, therefore, protecting faculty's intellectual property developed and published in their courses. |