AI Conversation

Blackboard now hosts a persona AI feature that allows students to dialog with a persona that instructors can create. For instance, if you would like your students to hold an interview with a particular famous expert, you can build a role play interview or set up a series of socratic questions.

1. On the Course Content Page, hover and click on the purple plus icon to begin the process of setting up an AI Conversation.

2. Select Create in the dialog pop-up box.

Open

3. The Create Item dialog box will appear on the right of the page. Scroll down to Participation and Engagement and select AI Conversation.

Open

4. Once you click on AI Conversation, the following page will appear (see image below). Hover over the Title at the top of the page and click on the pen icon to edit the Title.

There are two types of AI Conversations:

Socratic Questioning: where the AI tool asks the students continuous open-ended questions.

Role Play: where the AI persona interacts with the students via questions and responses.

• At the bottom of the page there is a Reflection Question item. Default points are located at both the Reflection Question (1) and AI Conversation items (0). The points value for each item can be altered, but neither component can be removed.

• Finally, there is an increment step-by-step signal that indicate the steps you are completing. The image below shows a left arrow that points at the first step on the page.

Role Play Example

5. If you would like to select Role Play, see the video below to perform the following actions:

• At Step 2 of 3: Enter text that describes the scenario to the students. Include their role and the purpose of the scenario. Select the Next button when completed.

• At Step 3 of 3: Enter the name of the AI persona (you can select the name of an actual expert)

  • Describe the personality trait of the AI persona with a term or short phrase

  • Adjust the complexity of responses of the AI persona

  • Add an image to the AI persona using Unsplash images or a personal one from your device

  • Preview or try out the conversation with the AI persona

6. The Reflection Question is set at default and cannot be removed.

AI Conversation Grade Settings - Personal Study

In the event you need to use AI Conversation to support students and their personal study needs, follow these recommended steps to create an ungraded AI Conversation item:

i. Create the item on your Course Content page or place in a folder or module

ii. Due Date - do not tick

iii. Formative Tools - leave ticked

iv. Attempts allowed - set to Unlimited

v. Grade Using - set to Complete/Incomplete

vi. Maximum points - set AI Conversation and Reflection at zero each

vii. Description - add a description indicating the purpose of the item … “This activity is for practice and will not be marked. You do not need to submit your conversations”.

Select Save when you have made the changes you need.

AI Conversation Grade Settings - Formative Assessment

i. Create the item on your Course Content page or place in a folder or module

ii. Due Date - set date and time

iii. Formative Tools - leave both boxes ticked

iv. Attempts allowed - set to Unlimited

v. Grade Using - set to Points

vi. Maximum points - you can increase the points for AI Conversation and leave Reflection Question at the default point

vii. Description - indicate clearly to students how many questions they should answer (Socratic Questions) and how many they should ask and answer (Role Play).

Select Save when you have made the changes you need.

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