AI Initiatives

The Division of Information Technology’s AI site will help the UMBC community with information on using artificial intelligence (AI), especially generative AI (GenAI), to support UMBC’s Administrative, Instructional, and Research efforts. This site has been created to help employees advance their use of GenAI. We recommend that our UMBC community begin by visiting GenAI Tools, this page will highlight what free resources are available to use and what options exist to use GenAI while safeguarding UMBC institutional data safely.

For staff providing support, we encourage people to look at Administrative AI, as a starting point. Our goal is to save folks time and improve the quality of their work, thus increasing productivity. We highlight some tools that DoIT is providing for support.

Additionally, we have launched an AI-supported search bar called myUMBC Answers.  We are seeking partners to work with DoIT to expand myUMBC Answers. The key to your office leveraging myUMBC Answers is providing validated and accurate content, such as FAQs or a handbook produced annually.

For faculty, we encourage you to also explore instructional AI and research AI. An excellent resource in the College of Engineering is the UMBC Center for AI.  You can follow news about the UMBC Center for AI on social media through its sites on LinkedIn, Bluesky, X, and Facebook. Members of the UMBC community can subscribe to the UMBC AI Group to receive email about AI-related news and events. If you have news to share with the UMBC AI community or suggestions or comments on the site, please send them to umbc-ai@cs.umbc.edu.

 

AI News

June features printer-friendly tests & new Courses page

Language support for AI course tools, grading enhancements

This June, Ultra users can look forward to updates that enhance user experience and functionality including a new language selector when generating content with the AI Course Design Assistant,...

Posted: May 30, 2024, 2:26 PM

More gradebook updates, test access logs coming in January

Grade visibility, batch edit, authentic assessment prompts

Expanding the functionality for the gradebook and assessments has been a central theme for the past year of Ultra development. When the winter term starts in 2024, Ultra courses will feature...

Posted: December 21, 2023, 8:01 AM

CFP - Incorporating Generative AI into Learning Experiences

Share your assessment experience with USM peers

Faculty, staff, and faculty/staff/student teams who have engaged in the use of Generative AI as part of assignments and learning activities are invited to propose sessions for the Incorporating...

Posted: December 12, 2023, 2:39 PM

Dec adds unique group due dates, more sort controls in Ultra

Features authentic discussion opportunities using AI tools

As 2023 comes to a close, the December Ultra update brings several features to enhance group functionality and gradebook management. With this update, instructors can assign a unique due date to...

Posted: November 30, 2023, 2:58 PM

Test Drive New Blackboard Faculty AI Course Design Tools

Discover how AI can support your course design process

The U.S. Distance Learning Association (USDLA)'s National Distance Learning Week focuses on how artificial intelligence (AI) impacts education and training.  Instructional Technology invites...

Posted: November 10, 2023, 8:24 AM