Module AI Assistant in Blackboard Pilot

1. Background

Westminster’s 6-month JISC evaluation pilot of LearnWise.ai has demonstrated significant interest from students through the VLE integration. Our initial deployment revealed that while intended for VLE support, 80% of student queries addressed broader institutional questions and services, indicating substantial potential for expanded implementation.

We propose a 12-month innovation pilot to leverage LearnWise.ai’s capabilities across multiple institutional services, including specifically Integration with taught module content within Blackboard sites.

2. Guiding Principles for the Pilot

As this will be a pilot, not all students will necessarily encounter it and therefore some will miss the opportunity to benefit from it. To mitigate equity concerns, a set of principles will govern the execution of the pilot.

2.1 Clear Communication of the Pilot’s Purpose

The project plan will clearly articulate why the pilot is limited to specific courses and how these courses were selected (e.g., based on diversity of disciplines, technical readiness, or academic interest). To help with this the Directors of Learning and Teaching will be consulted and invited to nominate modules within their School to be part of the pilot.

2.2 Equitable Selection Criteria

• Balanced Representation: The project will ensure that pilot modules come from a variety of disciplines, levels (undergraduate, postgraduate), and teaching formats (e.g., online only).
  
  
• Inclusivity: Courses will include those with diverse student populations, such as modules with high enrolments generally or those with significant representation from international students or non-traditional learners, to ensure broad perspectives.

The project communication plan will make clear that module inclusion is based on objective criteria like the nature of a course technical feasibility, rather than privilege or bias. It will also stress that the pilot is designed to test the effectiveness of the chatbot in enhancing student learning and that modules were selected to represent a range of subjects and teaching approaches and student enrolments, this helping to ensure diverse insights.

3. Open Access to Feedback and Results

• Student Feedback Mechanisms: There will be robust feedback routes to provide all students in the university – not just those in pilot modules – the opportunity to give input on the idea of the chatbot and its potential value.

The project will use surveys, focus groups, or town hall type meetings to invite feedback from the wider student body. Pilot outcomes (e.g., reports, testimonials) will be publicly available to ensure transparency about the benefits and limitations observed.

4. Opportunities for Broader Involvement

Students in non-pilot modules will be provided with opportunities to interact with the chatbot in a limited way, potentially through a sandbox course or a Blackboard site that is open to all students.

As part of the communication plan for the pilot the project team will explain how it may expand to all modules in the future, ensuring students outside the pilot understand they are not being excluded permanently.

5. Scalability and Future Access

The project’s communication plan will position the pilot as a necessary first step to identify and address issues before scaling the chatbot to all modules. It will be made clear that the pilot will help the university refine the chatbot so it can be effectively and equitably deployed across all modules in the future. The principles underpinning the pilot will include a commitment to expanding access to the chatbot for all students if the pilot is successful.

6. Ethical Oversight

The project will establish a diverse advisory group of students and colleagues to oversee the pilot, ensuring that equity considerations are continuously reviewed and addressed. There will be regular evaluate of the pilot’s progress and its impact on students in both pilot and non-pilot modules, making adjustments as needed to reduce disparities.