Calling all AI innovators: the AVA trial period is now in its final month
One month. 30 days. 720 hours. You get the drift. With the Blackboard LMS: AVA trial period set to end on June 30th, now is the perfect time to experiment with AVA Feedback, AVA Responses, and AVA Playground and discover the pedagogical benefits they can bring to your institution.
More than 240 global institutions are currently using AVA capabilities in their production or test/stage environment, extending the widespread and effective adoption of Blackboard LMS AI tools that we’ve seen in recent years. As the trial period draws to a close, many are now choosing to purchase an AVA license to ensure their instructors and students maintain access to these features.
“When AI in Blackboard was first introduced to instructors, it was a valuable time saver for creating modules and knowledge checks. Since then, it has evolved to include the AI Conversation and AVA. With AVA Responses, students can receive immediate assistance with messages, and when additional support is needed, conversations are seamlessly escalated to the instructor. The human connection remains as a foundational building block of the product.”
Shelby Huddleston, Director of Distance Learning, Cowley College
May’s Blackboard LMS release brought the addition of AVA Playground, a dedicated space providing equitable and safe access to a range of AI models. Designed as a tool for exploration, the AVA Playground allows both instructors and students to develop ideas, check key concepts, and pose questions of AI, all in a secure environment informed by our Trustworthy AI Approach. Within just a few weeks of the production release, great institutions are already leveraging the Playground to develop crucial AI literacy skills among students.
“As the prime mover of technology in the Philippines, Mapúa didn't just wait for the future to happen, Mapúa University proactively adopted the AVA Playground. What I love about this initiative is that it takes artificial intelligence out of the textbook and puts it right into our hands. It’s a safe, boundary-pushing space where we can prototype ideas, make mistakes, and discover how AI can amplify our own creativity and problem-solving skills, for both teachers and students.”
Ericson Dimaunahan, Assistant Vice President, Mapúa University
Feedback is a gift, as they say, and no one loves a gift quite like college and university students! AVA allows instructors to provide detailed and actionable feedback to their students, either by tightening their existing draft or by producing a summary based on the grading rubric. These capabilities are integrated seamlessly into grading workflows, and we’ve seen thousands of instructors around the world adopt them as a result.
“Because the AVA Feedback tools are built directly into the grading workflow, many instructors began using them naturally without the need for extensive training or rollout efforts.”
Jessica Shearer, Executive Vice President for Information Technology, University of the Cumberlands
Read the full case study
AVA streamlines interactions between instructors and students outside of feedback, also. Last year, we conducted research that established that more than a third of instructors spend at least four hours – or half a workday – per week answering common student inquiries. AVA Responses lightens this administrative load, by using AI to scan the course for answers to simple questions such as “when is this assignment due?” or “where can I find that document you showed in class?”. Since release in December, courses with this functionality enabled have delivered great benefits:
- Students receive a response nearly two hours faster on average, reducing barriers to progress in their courses.
- For instructors, AVA Responses streamlines up to 70% of student inquiries, significantly reducing the admin burden described above and allowing additional time to focus on higher order tasks
Lastly, more great AVA capabilities are just around the corner. Be sure to join us at Building Blackboard Together in July, where Dom Gore and his Product Management team will be presenting a series of additional features that leverage AI to make learning more engaging and effective, as the AVA suite continues to evolve to meet the needs of institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Blackboard LMS: AVA?
Blackboard LMS: AVA provides advanced AI capabilities to institutions, including AVA Feedback, AVA Responses, and AVA Playground. These are available for trial to all Blackboard institutions until June 30th, after which they will require a paid license. Capabilities can be enabled via the Administrator panel, see here for instructions.
What can instructors do with AVA Feedback?
AVA Feedback provides two options for instructors:
- Re-write: edits an existing draft of feedback that the instructor has authored, helping to provide clarity while maintaining the instructor’s voice.
- Summarize: drafts feedback for the instructor based on the grading rubric.
In both cases, the instructor maintains control over all output. They can review, edit, and ultimately accept AI suggestions before anything is sent to the student.
View more information on AVA Feedback.
How does AVA Responses help students?
AVA Responses uses AI to search course content for answers to common student inquiries. Thus, when a student asks about something that is noted within course environment – for instance, the due date of an assessment – AVA will immediately provide this information to the student.
As a result, students get key information faster and can proceed with their courses. The instructor maintains full visibility over the exchange and can clarify key points where required.
View more information about AVA Responses.
What is AVA Playground used for?
The AVA Playground provides equitable access to a range of AI models. It is designed as an exploratory environment—separate from coursework and assessment workflows—where users can ask questions, generate ideas, and interact with AI directly from Blackboard. AVA Playground includes clear trust and safety messaging to support responsible use.
View more information on AVA Playground.
Can students use the AVA Playground?
Absolutely. The AVA Playground is designed to help both instructors and students with relevant tasks.
Is Blackboard AVA secure?
Security is a key priority for all AI capabilities included in Blackboard LMS, including AVA. The Blackboard Trust Center provides information on how data security forms a core part of our Trustworthy AI Approach, as well as details on our overall approach to data security for all Blackboard solutions.
How does Blackboard's Trustworthy AI Approach work?
Blackboard’s Trustworthy AI Approach provides partner institutions with transparency on how we apply AI as a company. The key principles outlined feed directly into our development approach for the Blackboard LMS, including AVA, allowing institutions to make informed and responsible decisions around the application of these tools.
What happens after the AVA trial period ends?
The Blackboard LMS: AVA trial period continues until June 30th. From 1st July, institutions will need to purchase an AVA license to continue to use these capabilities in their production environment. Institutions should speak with their account representative to learn more about securing an AVA license.