Blackboard LMS Adds a New Set of AI Capabilities Within its ‘Anthology Virtual Assistant (AVA)’
- Anthology has introduced new AI capabilities within its Anthology Virtual Assistant (AVA) to enhance instructor-student engagement and grading efficiency.
- The AVA features include automated message sending, instant AI-generated answers, feedback assistance, summarization, and rewriting of informal notes into polished messages.
- The AI Badge Creator and Outcomes features allow instructors to measure, manage, and showcase student learning, providing a more comprehensive view of student progress.
- These new features aim to accelerate content creation, reduce grading time, and improve the overall teaching experience for instructors using Blackboard LMS.
- The introduction of these AI capabilities is part of Anthology’s ongoing effort to support educators in their mission to provide high-quality education and enhance student outcomes.
IBL News | New York
Anthology, maker of Blackboard LMS, announced last month a new set of AI capabilities within its Anthology Virtual Assistant (AVA), complementing the existing AI Design Assistant to accelerate content creation.
- AVA Automations: Instructors can set performance or time-based rules to automatically send personalized messages and nudges to keep students engaged and on track, such as celebrating a high grade or reminding them to log in. These messages are instructor-written, fully customizable, and logged for complete transparency.
- AVA Responses: Instant, AI-generated answers based on course content and syllabus, such as questions about deadlines or grading criteria. Instructors can review and confirm as needed all of these common student questions.
- AVA Feedback Assistant: Instructors can deliver high-quality, student-friendly feedback in less time.xA0
- Summarize Feedback: It auto-generates a clear summary based on rubric selections and grading criteria.
- Rewrite Feedback: It turnsxA0informal notes or fragments into polished, constructive messages.
These last two features allow instructors to save time on grading tasks while still delivering clear, personalized feedback to students.
Other new features in Blackboard are the AI Badge Creator and Outcomes for measuring, managing, and showcasing student learning.
> AI Product Video Demos
> Phil Hill: Anthology Together Conference Notes 2025xA0
Q. What is Anthology Virtual Assistant (AVA) in Blackboard LMS?
A. AVA is a new set of AI capabilities within Blackboard LMS that complements the existing AI Design Assistant to accelerate content creation.
Q. What features does AVA Automations provide?
A. AVA Automations allows instructors to set performance or time-based rules to send personalized messages and nudges to students, such as celebrating high grades or reminding them to log in.
Q. How do AVA Responses work?
A. AVA Responses generate instant, AI-generated answers based on course content and syllabus, which instructors can review and confirm as needed.
Q. What is the purpose of AVA Feedback Assistant?
A. AVA Feedback Assistant helps instructors deliver high-quality, student-friendly feedback in less time by auto-generating summaries and rewriting informal notes into polished messages.
Q. How does Summarize Feedback work in AVA?
A. Summarize Feedback auto-generates a clear summary based on rubric selections and grading criteria, saving instructors time on grading tasks.
Q. What is the AI Badge Creator feature in Blackboard LMS?
A. The AI Badge Creator feature allows instructors to create personalized badges for students, which can be used to measure and showcase student learning.
Q. What is Outcomes in Blackboard LMS?
A. Outcomes is a new feature that measures, manages, and showcases student learning, providing instructors with valuable insights into student progress.
Q. How does AVA help instructors save time on grading tasks?
A. AVA helps instructors save time on grading tasks by auto-generating summaries and rewriting informal notes into polished messages, allowing them to focus on providing high-quality feedback.
Q. What is the Anthology Together Conference Notes 2025 link for?
A. The link provides access to conference notes from Phil Hill’s presentation at the Anthology Together Conference 2025.
Q. How does AVA complement the existing AI Design Assistant in Blackboard LMS?
A. AVA complements the existing AI Design Assistant by providing additional AI capabilities that accelerate content creation, such as automating messages and generating instant answers to common student questions.