{"id":22307,"date":"2026-08-22T06:34:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-22T06:34:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/?p=22307"},"modified":"2026-08-22T06:34:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T06:34:38","slug":"ava-rubric-and-feedback-assistant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/ava-rubric-and-feedback-assistant\/","title":{"rendered":"AVA \u2013 Rubric and Feedback Assistant"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"22307\" class=\"elementor elementor-22307\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1c809c5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1c809c5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f652b57\" data-id=\"f652b57\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e665803 elementor-widget elementor-widget-html\" data-id=\"e665803\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"html.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div style=\"font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;line-height:1.6;color:#222\">\r\n\r\n    <p style=\"margin:0 0 18px 0\">\r\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/supporting-changes-in-digital-learning-and-ai\/\" style=\"color:#005fcc;text-decoration:underline\">\r\n            &larr; Back to Supporting Changes in Digital Learning and AI\r\n        <\/a>\r\n    <\/p>\r\n\r\n    <span style=\"display:inline-block;margin-bottom:18px;padding:4px 10px;background:#f1f1f1;border-radius:4px;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.03em;color:#555\">\r\n        For colleagues\r\n    <\/span>\r\n\r\n    <div style=\"background:#ffffff;border:1px solid #ddd;border-left:5px solid #7256a8;border-radius:8px;padding:20px;margin-bottom:22px\">\r\n        <p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px\">\r\n            Providing high-quality written feedback is one of the most valuable and\r\n            time-intensive parts of marking. AVA includes two AI-powered writing tools\r\n            within Blackboard's Flexible Grading interface to help you draft and refine\r\n            overall feedback more efficiently.\r\n        <\/p>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin:0\">\r\n            Both tools are found in the <strong>AI Writing Tools<\/strong> section of the\r\n            Overall Feedback panel when grading in the Flexible Grading view.\r\n        <\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div style=\"background:#ffffff;border:1px solid #ddd;border-radius:8px;padding:20px;margin-bottom:18px\">\r\n        <h2 style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:12px;font-size:24px\">\r\n            Summarise rubric feedback\r\n        <\/h2>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px\">\r\n            Once you have completed the marking rubric for a student's submission,\r\n            AVA can generate a suggested overall feedback summary based on everything\r\n            you have already filled in.\r\n        <\/p>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:10px\">It draws on:<\/p>\r\n\r\n        <ul style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px;padding-left:24px\">\r\n            <li style=\"margin-bottom:8px\">The rubric criteria and selected performance levels<\/li>\r\n            <li style=\"margin-bottom:8px\">The performance level descriptions<\/li>\r\n            <li style=\"margin-bottom:8px\">Any criterion-level comments you have added<\/li>\r\n            <li style=\"margin-bottom:8px\">Any text already in the Overall Feedback box<\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px\">\r\n            To use it, select the <strong>Summarise<\/strong> option in the Overall\r\n            Feedback area after completing the rubric. AVA produces a draft summary,\r\n            clearly labelled as AI-generated.\r\n        <\/p>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:10px\">You can then:<\/p>\r\n\r\n        <ul style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px;padding-left:24px\">\r\n            <li style=\"margin-bottom:8px\">Accept it as a starting point for further editing<\/li>\r\n            <li style=\"margin-bottom:8px\">Reject it to restore your original content<\/li>\r\n            <li style=\"margin-bottom:8px\">Regenerate it to get a fresh version<\/li>\r\n        <\/ul>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin:0\">\r\n            This feature is available in the Flexible Grading view for any Blackboard\r\n            assignment that has a completed rubric attached.\r\n        <\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div style=\"background:#ffffff;border:1px solid #ddd;border-radius:8px;padding:20px;margin-bottom:18px\">\r\n        <h2 style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:12px;font-size:24px\">\r\n            Rewrite feedback\r\n        <\/h2>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px\">\r\n            The Rewrite tool helps polish rough feedback notes into clearer,\r\n            more student-friendly language. If you have typed bullet points,\r\n            shorthand comments, or draft sentences, AVA can rework them into\r\n            more coherent, professional feedback.\r\n        <\/p>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:10px\">To use Rewrite:<\/p>\r\n\r\n        <ol style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px;padding-left:24px\">\r\n            <li style=\"margin-bottom:8px\">\r\n                Enter at least 30 characters of your own feedback in the Overall Feedback area.\r\n            <\/li>\r\n            <li style=\"margin-bottom:8px\">\r\n                Select <strong>Rewrite<\/strong>. AVA generates a suggested revision,\r\n                clearly labelled as AI-generated.\r\n            <\/li>\r\n            <li style=\"margin-bottom:8px\">\r\n                Accept the suggestion to continue editing or select Reject\/Cancel\r\n                to restore your original input.\r\n            <\/li>\r\n        <\/ol>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin:0\">\r\n            You can run the Rewrite tool multiple times on the same text to iteratively\r\n            refine it. Accepting a suggestion does not finalise the feedback - you can\r\n            continue editing before saving.\r\n        <\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div style=\"background:#ffffff;border:1px solid #ddd;border-left:5px solid #7256a8;border-radius:8px;padding:20px;margin-bottom:18px\">\r\n        <h2 style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:12px;font-size:24px\">\r\n            A note on responsible use\r\n        <\/h2>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px\">\r\n            Both tools are designed to support and amplify your voice as a tutor,\r\n            not to replace your professional judgement.\r\n        <\/p>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:14px\">\r\n            Always review AI-generated feedback before it is released to students.\r\n            Do not include personal or sensitive information in your feedback prompts.\r\n        <\/p>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin:0\">\r\n            If you encounter output that seems inaccurate, biased, or inappropriate,\r\n            please report it via\r\n            <a href=\"mailto:genai@westminster.ac.uk\" style=\"color:#005fcc;text-decoration:underline\">\r\n                genai@westminster.ac.uk\r\n            <\/a>.\r\n        <\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n    <div style=\"background:#ffffff;border:1px solid #ddd;border-radius:8px;padding:20px;margin-bottom:18px\">\r\n        <h2 style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:12px;font-size:24px\">\r\n            Further information\r\n        <\/h2>\r\n\r\n        <p style=\"margin:0\">\r\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/help.anthology.com\/blackboard\/instructor\/en\/course-and-content-management\/ava---ai-virtual-assistant.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" style=\"color:#005fcc;text-decoration:underline;font-weight:bold\">\r\n                AVA - AI Virtual Assistant (Blackboard Help)\r\n            <\/a>\r\n        <\/p>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&larr; Back to Supporting Changes in Digital Learning and AI For colleagues Providing high-quality written feedback is one of the most valuable and time-intensive parts of marking. AVA includes two AI-powered writing tools within Blackboard&#8217;s Flexible Grading interface to help&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22307","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22307"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22307\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22311,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22307\/revisions\/22311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22307"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22307"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/blackboardhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22307"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}