Enhancing Student Engagement with AI Conversations in Blackboard Ultra: A Socratic Tool for Interactive Learning and Critical Thinking
Explore this new tool to support students
In 1985, Steve Jobs predicted the potential for AI to support student learning and engagement with course content.
Video link: Steve Jobs Predicts ChatGPT in 1985
What might your students learn if they could talk with Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin, or Martin Luther King, Jr.? How could students demonstrate knowledge of course content through low-stakes engagement with AI?
Join us for an exploration of Ultra’s new AI Conversations, a Socratic questioning exercise powered by AI to support responsible use of AI. In this session, discover how AI Conversations can be integrated into your courses to enhance student learning and engagement. When defined by the instructor for complexity and personality, the AI Conversation allows students to explore a topic and gain new perspectives. AI Conversations will be available in the September release and future updates to this tool in late fall will include roleplaying and debate exercises.
Session Objectives
- Create and configure an AI Conversation in an Ultra course
- Explore a variety of use cases for AI Conversations
- Discuss examples of effective questions to stimulate student interactive and critical thinking
- Define effective personality traits for AI Conversations
- Develop strategies to incorporate AI Conversations into your course design
This session will include a live demonstration of the AI Conversation tool including setup, preview, learner interaction, and grading workflow. Staff will share several examples of AI personas including real world and fictional for a variety of disciplines.
NOTE: AI Conversations are optional to use in Ultra courses; they are designed to reflect Anthology’s Trustworthy AI Approach. Data generated is retained within UMBC’s Blackboard database and not used to train AI models.
- Enhancing Student Engagement with AI Conversations in Blackboard Ultra - Panopto Recording [CC enabled]
- Google Slide Deck - click ⠇More ▸ Download as PDF
At least 5 registrations are needed for this session to proceed as scheduled. The session will be recorded if two or more people attend and the link will be distributed to everyone who registered.
JOINING THE SESSION
This webinar will take place in a Google Meet virtual conference room. Enter the webinar up to 15 minutes before the start time. Visit the myUMBC Event post and select the "Join Online Event" button to join the Google Meet session.
Prior to the Event
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- If this is your first time joining one of our webinars, please review the requirements to use Google Meet. Learn how to connect your audio & video, change/blur your background, and use reactions. You can also review the accessibility support including live captions.