FACULTY: ULTRA: How do I generate Journal questions using AI Design Assistant?

This KB article aims to teach you how to use Blackboard Ultra’s AI Design Assistant to generate journal questions and add them to your course. Journals are a private and personal space where students can communicate privately with you. Visit Blackboard’s Help site to learn more.

Tips When Using the AI Design Assistant:

  • The more information you provide in your descriptions, the more likely you’ll see accurate and salient AI generated content.
  • Always check AI generated content for accuracy and appropriateness.
  • You can make edits to all AI generated content as well as reject part or all of its output.

Instructions for AI Generated Journals:

Step 1

Click on the plus (+) icon and select Create 

Step 2

Scroll down to Participation and Engagement and select Journal

Step 3

On the top right hand corner select the black Auto-Generate Journal button.  Note: Journals will be generated based on your course's title and description.

Step 4

Customize the journal questions.

You have several ways to customize the journals that the AI Design Assistant generates.

  • Enter a description (limited to 2000 characters) to narrow the focus of the journals

Image of the auto-generate panel for journals, with customization options beside autogenerated prompts

  • Optionally, you can select which course items you’d like the AI Design Assistant to use as source context for journals. Choose Select course items to start.
    • Select the box beside any course content item to include it in the context for your journal. 
    • You can select the arrow beside a folder or learning module to include items from them.
    • When you’ve finished choosing items for context, select Select items to return to question generation. 

Context picker

  • Select the desired cognitive level
    • Apply
    • Analyze
    • Evaluate
    • Create
    • Inspire me! provides you with a mix of levels
  • Adjust the complexity of the journals’ focus by moving the slider (Complexity refers to learners’ educational levels. A complexity level of 7 will typically meet the target ranges for undergraduate lower division, 8 for undergraduate upper division, and 9 for Master and early Ph.D levels per this guide).
  • Select whether or not you want to generate a title for journals 
  • Select the arrow beside Advanced options to change the output language 

Step 5

Once you’ve finalized your settings, select Generate. Review each journal for accuracy and bias. Choose the journal you’d like to add to your course, then select Add. You may additionally edit the generated journal prompts as you see fit. Select Save to save it to your course page. Then select Visible to students on the top right hand corner so students are able to view the journal. 

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