Using the AI Design Assistant in Minerva - Staff Guide
Anthology, the vendor of Blackboard Learn (Minerva), have incorporated artificial intelligence tools within Minerva 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.
At Leeds, the Digital Education Systems team (in DES) has worked with colleagues across the University (Digital Education Academic Leads in Faculties (DEALs), Learning Technologists and academics with a strategic assessment role) to test these tools and ensure they are affective before enabling them.
For example, our colleague, Dr Manoj Ravi, a Lecturer in the School of Chemical and Process Engineering, found these tools to be effective in his teaching:
Using the ‘Auto-Generate modules’ feature was particularly useful in developing learning blocks with relevant text description and images. I customised the learning blocks that I wanted by prompting the AI assistant with the specific topics that I wanted in the ‘Description’ box. I did moderate the AI-generated text, but it would have been more time consuming had I built all of it from scratch. I also ran a formative MCQ test a few days into the course, for which I used the ‘Auto-generate questions’ feature. Once again, using the ‘Description’ box helped generate better questions.
Tools with AI options
- Learning Module Creation (containers only) - Generate module structure based on an objective, concept, or theme. The Design Assistant can generate one or more Learning Module containers and can include a title, image and description.
- Test questions - Recommended for formative assessments.
- Question Banks – Generate formative question banks that can be reused in multiple Tests.
- Assignment/Journal/Discussion - Generates a question/prompt for students to respond to.
How the AI Design Assistant works
The AI Design Assistant uses Microsoft Azure OpenAI to generate ideas for structuring your learning resources. When you launch the AI Design Assistant, the AI will start to generate content straight away (for Learning Modules and test questions, the AI automatically uses the module name; question bank generation uses text within Minerva Documents.) You will likely need to use the fields in the interface to improve the focus.
- Description - Add specific text here to narrow the focus.
- Select module items (context picker) - You can browse your module for content to help define questions (this is not available for Question Bank question creation).
- Desired cognitive level - For Assignment/Journal/Discussion you can align with Bloom's Taxonomy (apply, analyze, evaluate or create).
- Complexity - The default setting is University degree level year 1/2, but you should experiment if results are not satisfactory by moving the pointer up and down the scale. Staff at Leeds report that moving the scale near the top usually produces the best results.
- Number of results - You can select how many results you want. You can then choose which should be added to your module.
- Advanced options, output language - If you wish the content to be generated in a different language, select this here.
Where you can select the addition of images, these are from the Unsplash library of images. They are copyright free. If you like a generated Learning Module but don't like the image, it is always possible to remove/change the image after adding it to your module.
Getting started with the AI Design Assistant
Detailed guidance on how to use the AI Design Assistant to auto-generate Learning Modules, test questions and question banks can be found below.
Learning Modules
Learning Modules are containers (like folders) that are typically used for presenting learning resources to students.
To create AI-generated Learning Modules select the + icon and choose Auto-Generate Modules from the Module Content area in your module. This will open the Auto-Generate Modules panel.
By default, the AI Design Assistant will generate four suggested Learning Module containers based on the title of your module.
Customise Learning Modules
If you aren't satisfied with the default suggestions you can customise the results:
- Description - Enter specific text (limited to 2000 characters) in the description box.
- Select module items (context picker) - You can browse your module for content to help define questions
- Title prefix - Select a title prefix: Unit or Week are recommended to fit the Minerva template.
- Include images - Choose whether to include images (these appear in the Learning Module container and can be removed/changed later if required).
- Complexity can be left at default (University degree level) but experiment if results are not satisfactory.
- Number of Learning Modules - Move the slider for more/less than the default 4.
- Advanced options, output language - If you wish the content to be generated in a different language, select this here.
Once you've finalised your preferences select Generate.
Select the Learning Module(s) you wish to add via the check box(es) and then click Add to Course. The text can then be edited/Learning Modules moved to fit the module template.
Once finished click Generate to see new results.
Test Questions
If you are new to tests read the Create a Test section of the Getting Started with Blackboard Tests guide. In the test creation panel, select Auto-generate question from the menu.
Customise Questions
Questions will be generated automatically using the title of your module. By default, a variety of question types will be generated using the Inspire me! option, but this can be changed. If you aren't satisfied with the default suggestions you can customise the results:
- Description - Enter specific text (limited to 2000 characters) in the description box.
- Select module items (context picker) - Browse your module for items to help define questions e.g. you could base questions on a file uploaded to your module.
- Question Type* - The Inspire me! option is the default which suggests a variety of question types, or you can choose from the following options:
- Essay
- Fill in the blank
- Matching
- Multiple choice
- True/False
- Complexity can be left at default (University degree level) but experiment if results are not satisfactory.
- Number of questions - Move the slider for more/less than the default 4.
- Advanced options, output language - If you wish the content to be generated in a different language, select this here.
*It is not possible to specify question settings, e.g. the number of distractors for matching or multiple-choice questions.
Once you've finalised your preferences select Generate.
If you are satisfied with the results, select the questions(s) you wish to add via the check box(es) and then click Add to Assessment. Review each question for accuracy. You can also edit questions to better fit your assessment requirements. If you would like to add more than 10 questions you can repeat the process.
Question Banks
Question Banks are sets of questions you can use across multiple Blackboard Tests. The AI Design Assistant can help you build Question Banks.
If you are new to Question Banks, read the Guide on Advanced Question Creation.
When you create a Question Bank, you will see the option to auto-generate a Bank:
Questions will be generated automatically using the title of your module. By default, a variety of question types will be generated using the Inspire me! option, but this can be changed. If you aren't satisfied with the default suggestions you can customise the results:
- Description - Enter specific text (limited to 2000 characters) in the description box.
- Select module items (context picker) - Browse your module for items to help define questions e.g. you could base questions on a file uploaded to your module.
- Question Type* - The Inspire me! option is the default which suggests a variety of question types, or you can choose from the following options:
- Essay
- Fill in the blank
- Matching
- Multiple choice
- True/False
- Complexity can be left at default (University degree level) but experiment if results are not satisfactory.
- Number of questions - Move the slider for more/less than the default 4.
- Advanced options, output language - If you wish the content to be generated in a different language, select this here.
*It is not possible to specify question settings, e.g. the number of distractors for matching or multiple-choice questions.
Once you've finalised your preferences select Generate.
If you are satisfied with the results, select the questions(s) you wish to add via the check box(es) and then click Add to Question Bank. You will then see the Question Bank has been created. Click on the name to review/amend questions.
If you wish to add more questions to the Bank, click on the + icon. An option to auto-generate is also available here or you can add your own:
Once generated you can add questions from the Bank to a Test - they aren't added automatically. If you are new to Tests, read the Create a Test section of the Getting Started with Blackboard Tests guide.
Assignment question/prompt
Blackboard Assignments are an assessment tool where students can submit files/type in a response. Read our Blackboard Assignment guide to find out more.
When you create an Assignment, you will see an option to Auto-Generate Assignment.
Click this option. Suggestions will be generated automatically based on the title of your module.
If you aren't satisfied with the default suggestions you can customise the results:
- Description - Enter specific text (limited to 2000 characters) in the description box.
- Select module items (context picker) - Browse your module for items to help define questions/prompts e.g. you could browse for a file uploaded to your module.
- Desired cognitive level - you can choose apply, analyse, evaluate or create (or leave as the default 'Inspire me!' which will return a variety).
- Complexity can be left at default (University degree level) but experiment if results are not satisfactory.
- Generate assignment title - select if you wish the AI to suggest a title
- Advanced options, output language - If you wish the content to be generated in a different language, select this here.
Once you've finalised your preferences select Generate.
If you like one of the results, select it and click Add. This will add the content to your assignment. It can be amended as required. Select Generate again if you want to see other suggestions.
Journal question/prompt
Journals are private to an individual student but staff on the module can see them and respond to entries/mark them. Read our Journal guide to find out more.
When you create a Journal, you will see an option to Auto-Generate Journal.
Click this option. Suggestions will be generated automatically based on the title of your module.
If you aren't satisfied with the default suggestions you can customise the results:
- Description - Enter specific text (limited to 2000 characters) in the description box.
- Select module items (context picker) - Browse your module for items to help define questions/prompts e.g. you could browse for a file uploaded to your module.
- Desired cognitive level - you can choose apply, analyse, evaluate or create (or leave as the default 'Inspire me!' which will return a variety).
- Complexity can be left at default (University degree level) but experiment if results are not satisfactory.
- Generate journal title - select if you wish the AI to suggest a title for the Journal.
- Advanced options, output language - If you wish the content to be generated in a different language, select this here.
Once you've finalised your preferences select Generate.
If you like one of the results, select it and click Add. This will add the content to your Journal. It can be amended as required. Select Generate again if you want to see other suggestions.
Discussion question/prompt
If you have not used Discussions, read our Discussions guide to find out more.
When you create a Discussion, you will see an option to Auto-Generate Discussion.
Click this option. Suggestions will be generated automatically based on the title of your module.
If you aren't satisfied with the default suggestions you can customise the results:
- Description - Enter specific text (limited to 2000 characters) in the description box.
- Select module items (context picker) - Browse your module for items to help define questions/prompts e.g. you could browse for a file uploaded to your module.
- Desired cognitive level - you can choose apply, analyse, evaluate or create (or leave as the default 'Inspire me!' which will return a variety).
- Complexity can be left at default (University degree level) but experiment if results are not satisfactory.
- Generate journal title - select if you wish the AI to suggest a title for the Discussion.
- Advanced options, output language - If you wish the content to be generated in a different language, select this here.
Once you've finalised your preferences select Generate.
If you like one of the results, select it and click Add. This will add the content to your Discussion. It can be amended as required. Select Generate again if you want to see other suggestions.