Blackboard - Staff Guides

Blackboard is Aberystwyth University’s online virtual learning environment (VLE). Blackboard has a range of tools for communication, collaboration, assessment, feedback, reflection and content management, and provides an online space for activities to support learning and teaching.

Blackboard can be logged into from any computer connected to the Internet using a browser - we recommend using Firefox or Chrome for Blackboard.

• Go to https://blackboard.aber.ac.uk 
• Login using your AU username and password

Blackboard guide for Staff

Playlist

We’ve created The Ultra Essentials Playlist to help staff to familiarise themselves with the exciting new features in Ultra.

If you’re unsure about how to do something specific in Ultra or just need a quick refresher then take a look at our bilingual training videos. Here’s a breakdown of the individual video clips:

  1. Introduction to Blackboard Learn Ultra presentation (13 mins)
  2. Navigating your Ultra Course (6 mins)
  3. Creating a Link to your Reading List (2 mins)
  4. Creating a Link to all Panopto Recordings (2 mins)
  5. Creating a Folder and Learning Module (3 mins)
  6. Creating a Document (7 mins)
  7. Copying content from previous years (4 mins)
  8. Link to individual Panopto recording (1 min)
  9. Creating a Turnitin Submission Point (2 mins)
  10. Creating a Blackboard Assignment (4 mins)
  11. Creating a Blackboard Test (1 min)
  12. Creating a Link (1 min)
  13. Creating a Collaborative Document (3 mins)
  14. Creating a Discussion (2 mins)
  15. Creating a Journal (2 mins)
  16. Creating an Announcement (1 min)

Blackboard Basics - overview and getting started

Blackboard Essentials - managing your module

Blackboard videos for Staff

Blackboard AI Design Assistant Principles

Context and Guidance Principles

Anthology, the vendor of Blackboard Learn, have added AI tools to Blackboard as part of their 'AI Design Assistant'. Anthology’s approach is to empower staff to use AI to “promote authentic assessment, engaging learning experiences and academic integrity, while also providing efficiency for educators and improved outcomes for students as a result.”

Anthology have published their Trustworthy AI Approach, with the key principles being:

  • Fairness: Minimizing harmful bias in AI systems.
  • Reliability: Taking measures to ensure the output of AI systems is valid and reliable.
  • Humans in Control: Ensuring humans ultimately make decisions that have legal or otherwise significant impact.
  • Transparency and Explainability: Explaining to users when AI systems are used, how the AI systems work, and help users interpret and appropriately use the output of the AI systems.
  • Privacy, Security and Safety: AI systems should be secure, safe, and privacy friendly.
  • Value alignment: AI systems should be aligned to human values, in particular those of our clients and users.
  • Accountability: Ensuring there is clear accountability regarding the trustworthy use of AI systems within Anthology as well as between Anthology, its clients, and its providers of AI systems.

If Instructors opt to make use of the AI Design Assistant, we recommend:

  1. Generating and checking content

AI-generated content is never automatically added to a course. It will not be released to students without instructors making that decision. Instructors will always need to approve content before it is made available to students.

Instructors can always review and change AI-generated content. For example, if an instructor generates Test questions, it is likely some will not be useful. The instructor should choose what they would like to use and edit them as needed. It is important for instructors to ensure everything generated by AI is checked before it is added to a course and made available to students.

  1. Consider adding a Use of Artificial Intelligence statement to a course

In line with University artificial intelligence guidance, if content is substantially generated using an AI tool, this should be declared clearly to the students.  A statement on the use of artificial intelligence in a Blackboard Learn course can be added in the Module Information learning module area using the Document feature.

Blackboard AI Design Assistant Tools

The following tools are available to Instructors on courses.

Generate Learning Modules

This feature allows a course structure to be created using learning modules based on the name of the course and any additional information that has been provided. Learning modules are akin to folders.

The AI Design Assistant can generate one or more learning modules which will consist of a title, an image, and a description. For further information see the section on course structure suggestions on the AI Design Assistant help page.

Generate Test Questions & Question Banks

This feature generates test questions and question banks based on the content that is included in the course. Instructors can specify the level and the types of questions that are asked.  The complexity and question type can be adjusted. For further information see the section on test question generation on the AI Design Assistant help page.

Generate Keywords for Unsplash

Unsplash is a copyright free image library accessible from within Blackboard. The AI tool will generate relevant keywords based upon the course name and content with which to search Unsplash.

Generate Journals

Based on course name and content, journal activities are proposed and created. For further information see the section on journal generation on the AI Design Assistant help page.

Generate Discussions

Based on course name and content, discussion activities are proposed and can be created. For further information see the section on how to auto-generate discussions on the AI Design Assistant help page.

Generate Assignments

The assignment generator will create prompts for assignments, using Bloom’s taxonomy to include different levels of complexity. This complexity can be adjusted. This only applies to the inbuilt Blackboard assignment tool and not Turnitin. For further information see the section on assignment prompt generation on the AI Design Assistant Help Page.

AI Conversations

This tool allows instructors to create activities for students to engage with an AI Chat Bot. Instructors provide a scenario and persona for the chat bot. This tool is useful for furthering student knowledge and understanding. There are two types of activities: Socratic questioning and Role play. For further information, see our blogpost and Blackboard’s AI Conversation guidance.

Note: The Blackboard AI Design Assistant does have a Rubric generator and an AI image Generator which we have not enabled.

Monthly Updates

There are monthly system updates to Blackboard. We test and document new functionality and release blogposts outlining upcoming changes to staff.  

You can follow these on our blog and this information is circulated with departmental directors of learning and teaching.  

Blackboard Help and Support

For further support on any aspect relating to Blackboard, please contact the E-learning team via email (elearning@aber.ac.uk) or phone (01970) 62 2472.

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