Latest news with #BruceDahlgren
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Anthology Unveils Next-Generation AI and Immersive Learning Innovations in Blackboard, Maintains Position as the Fastest-Evolving LMS for the Fourth Year
BOCA RATON, Fla., July 15, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Anthology, the leading educational technology company, today announced a sweeping set of innovations across its award-winning learning management system, Blackboard®, and marked its fourth consecutive year as the fastest-evolving LMS. These advancements are designed to streamline instructional design, lighten educators' administrative load, and support student success at every stage of the learning journey. "We continue to lead the way in the responsible, ethical, and impactful use of AI, delivering real results where it matters most," said Bruce Dahlgren, CEO of Anthology. "By working closely with our customers, we ensure our solutions are solving the realities facing higher education today. These new powerful capabilities support faculty, strengthen student engagement, and advance institutional success." AI That Works for You: Supporting Student Success and Faculty Efficiency Anthology is expanding its AI-powered capabilities in Blackboard with the Anthology Virtual Assistant, AVA, a suite of tools designed to help instructors use their time more efficiently, enhance student support, and promote responsible, transparent use of generative AI. Complementing the existing AI Design Assistant, AVA features deliver meaningful, time-saving support for everyday teaching and learning tasks. AVA Automations are personalized nudges to keep students engaged and on track. With AVA Automations, instructors can set performance- or time-based rules to automatically send personalized messages to students—for example, to celebrate a high grade or remind them to log in. Messages are instructor-written, fully customizable, and logged for full transparency. This feature will be included in the core Blackboard license and available to all users at no additional cost. Instructors spend valuable time each week responding to common student questions. AVA Responses serves as the first line of support by providing students with instant, AI-generated answers based on course content. Whether it's a question about deadlines or grading criteria, responses are linked to the original source and shared with the instructor, who can review and confirm as needed—saving time while keeping students informed. The AVA Feedback Assistant helps instructors deliver high-quality, student-friendly feedback in less time. Summarize Feedback auto-generates a clear summary based on rubric selections and grading criteria. Rewrite Feedback turns informal notes or fragments into polished, constructive messages. With both features, instructors save time on grading tasks while still delivering clear, personalized feedback to students, all while maintaining full oversight of AI-suggested responses before sharing. AVA Playground gives all students equitable access to a range of generative AI models within Blackboard—at no cost to them, and without needing external accounts or tools. This secure, opt-in environment supports AI literacy by allowing students to explore and experiment with emerging technologies in context. All activity is logged for transparency, giving instructors visibility into how AI is being used to support learning. All of the Anthology Virtual Assistant capabilities will be offered as a free trial to current Blackboard customers through June 30, 2026. Driving Student Success Through Recognition and Results New features in the Blackboard experience help institutions recognize student achievement and track learning progress—boosting engagement, driving continuous improvement, and strengthening institutional identity. Blackboard Achievements: AI Badge Creator. Educators can easily design achievement badges within their courses, helping motivate learners and reflect institutional branding. This capability will be part of the core license of Blackboard. Outcomes. The new outcomes functionality for Blackboard helps institutions easily measure, manage and showcase student learning. Faculty will be able to align assignments to learning outcomes and track student achievement over time within the flow of their courses. At the same time, institutions are empowered to assign and relate outcomes across the institutional hierarchy, disciplines, and programs, making it easier to support accreditation, highlight areas of strength, and guide continuous launch builds on Anthology's ongoing investment in mastery and competency-based learning, including tools like the Mastery Gradebook, which helps educators evaluate performance against defined skills and standards. Anthology Outcomes is a Core feature available to Blackboard customers in Canada and the United States. Bringing Learning to Life: Immersive Video Tools That Drive Student Engagement Launched last year, Video Studio was created to help instructors easily create, upload, and share engaging video content without the need for external tools or licenses—and without worry over storage or streaming limits. Today, Video Studio has advanced to support 360-degree video and immersive video experiences through VR-handoff compatibility—giving instructors powerful new ways to engage learners. Whether simulating lab environments or fieldwork, this innovation brings learning to life and prepares students and those continuing their professional development for real-world challenges. Powerful Tools for Efficient Teaching and Streamlined Content Management The AI Design Assistant for Documents expands upon the AI Design Assistant capabilities and makes it easier than ever for instructors and instructional designers to craft engaging, high-quality course materials directly within Blackboard. With a single click, the AI Design Assistant analyzes an existing document and recommends optimized layouts, inserts relevant royalty-free visuals, and suggests formative knowledge checks—each aligned with instructional design best practices. Instructors can review, refine, or regenerate these suggestions, ensuring full control while accelerating the content creation AI Design Assistant for Documents will be available as part of the core Blackboard license and released globally in July 2025. Learning Object Repository (LOR). The Learning Object Repository (LOR) helps institutions save time and ensure consistency by centrally managing key course content across Blackboard. Whether it's a syllabus used by multiple instructors, an academic integrity policy, or student support information, the LOR allows administrators to create and maintain a single version of these important documents—ensuring accuracy and reducing duplication across courses and organizations. Together, these enhancements make it even easier to scale high-quality learning experiences and keep content aligned across the institution. Experience the industry's most modern learning management system with a free trial at About Anthology Anthology delivers education and technology solutions so that students can reach their full potential and learning institutions thrive. Millions of students around the world are supported throughout their education journey via Anthology's ecosystem of flagship SaaS solutions and supporting services, including the award-winning Blackboard® (LMS), Anthology® Student (SIS/ERP), and Anthology® Reach (CRM). Through the Power of Together, we are uniquely inspiring educators and institutions with innovation that is meaningful, simple and intelligent to help customers redefine what's possible and create life-changing opportunities for people everywhere. Note to editors: Blackboard is the fastest-evolving LMS. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, Blackboard released more new features than any other major LMS—191 in the past 12 months alone, compared to 109 for D2L Brightspace and 79 for Instructure Canvas. This pace of innovation is publicly documented in each vendor's release notes: View source version on Contacts Erin MitchellSenior Director of Communications, Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Anthology Unveils Next-Generation AI and Immersive Learning Innovations in Blackboard, Maintains Position as the Fastest-Evolving LMS for the Fourth Year
BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Anthology, the leading educational technology company, today announced a sweeping set of innovations across its award-winning learning management system, Blackboard ®, and marked its fourth consecutive year as the fastest-evolving LMS. These advancements are designed to streamline instructional design, lighten educators' administrative load, and support student success at every stage of the learning journey. 'We continue to lead the way in the responsible, ethical, and impactful use of AI, delivering real results where it matters most,' said Bruce Dahlgren, CEO of Anthology. 'By working closely with our customers, we ensure our solutions are solving the realities facing higher education today. These new powerful capabilities support faculty, strengthen student engagement, and advance institutional success.' AI That Works for You: Supporting Student Success and Faculty Efficiency Anthology is expanding its AI-powered capabilities in Blackboard with the Anthology Virtual Assistant, AVA, a suite of tools designed to help instructors use their time more efficiently, enhance student support, and promote responsible, transparent use of generative AI. Complementing the existing AI Design Assistant, AVA features deliver meaningful, time-saving support for everyday teaching and learning tasks. AVA Automations are personalized nudges to keep students engaged and on track. With AVA Automations, instructors can set performance- or time-based rules to automatically send personalized messages to students—for example, to celebrate a high grade or remind them to log in. Messages are instructor-written, fully customizable, and logged for full transparency. This feature will be included in the core Blackboard license and available to all users at no additional cost. Instructors spend valuable time each week responding to common student questions. AVA Responses serves as the first line of support by providing students with instant, AI-generated answers based on course content. Whether it's a question about deadlines or grading criteria, responses are linked to the original source and shared with the instructor, who can review and confirm as needed—saving time while keeping students informed. The AVA Feedback Assistant helps instructors deliver high-quality, student-friendly feedback in less time. Summarize Feedback auto-generates a clear summary based on rubric selections and grading criteria. Rewrite Feedback turns informal notes or fragments into polished, constructive messages. With both features, instructors save time on grading tasks while still delivering clear, personalized feedback to students, all while maintaining full oversight of AI-suggested responses before sharing. AVA Playground gives all students equitable access to a range of generative AI models within Blackboard—at no cost to them, and without needing external accounts or tools. This secure, opt-in environment supports AI literacy by allowing students to explore and experiment with emerging technologies in context. All activity is logged for transparency, giving instructors visibility into how AI is being used to support learning. All of the Anthology Virtual Assistant capabilities will be offered as a free trial to current Blackboard customers through June 30, 2026. Driving Student Success Through Recognition and Results New features in the Blackboard experience help institutions recognize student achievement and track learning progress—boosting engagement, driving continuous improvement, and strengthening institutional identity. Blackboard Achievements: AI Badge Creator. Educators can easily design achievement badges within their courses, helping motivate learners and reflect institutional branding. This capability will be part of the core license of Blackboard. Outcomes. The new outcomes functionality for Blackboard helps institutions easily measure, manage and showcase student learning. Faculty will be able to align assignments to learning outcomes and track student achievement over time within the flow of their courses. At the same time, institutions are empowered to assign and relate outcomes across the institutional hierarchy, disciplines, and programs, making it easier to support accreditation, highlight areas of strength, and guide continuous improvement. This launch builds on Anthology's ongoing investment in mastery and competency-based learning, including tools like the Mastery Gradebook, which helps educators evaluate performance against defined skills and standards. Anthology Outcomes is a Core feature available to Blackboard customers in Canada and the United States. Bringing Learning to Life: Immersive Video Tools That Drive Student Engagement Launched last year, Video Studio was created to help instructors easily create, upload, and share engaging video content without the need for external tools or licenses—and without worry over storage or streaming limits. Today, Video Studio has advanced to support 360-degree video and immersive video experiences through VR-handoff compatibility —giving instructors powerful new ways to engage learners. Whether simulating lab environments or fieldwork, this innovation brings learning to life and prepares students and those continuing their professional development for real-world challenges. Powerful Tools for Efficient Teaching and Streamlined Content Management The AI Design Assistant for Documents expands upon the AI Design Assistant capabilities and makes it easier than ever for instructors and instructional designers to craft engaging, high-quality course materials directly within Blackboard. With a single click, the AI Design Assistant analyzes an existing document and recommends optimized layouts, inserts relevant royalty-free visuals, and suggests formative knowledge checks—each aligned with instructional design best practices. Instructors can review, refine, or regenerate these suggestions, ensuring full control while accelerating the content creation process. The AI Design Assistant for Documents will be available as part of the core Blackboard license and released globally in July 2025. Learning Object Repository (LOR). The Learning Object Repository (LOR) helps institutions save time and ensure consistency by centrally managing key course content across Blackboard. Whether it's a syllabus used by multiple instructors, an academic integrity policy, or student support information, the LOR allows administrators to create and maintain a single version of these important documents—ensuring accuracy and reducing duplication across courses and organizations. Together, these enhancements make it even easier to scale high-quality learning experiences and keep content aligned across the institution. Experience the industry's most modern learning management system with a free trial at About Anthology Anthology delivers education and technology solutions so that students can reach their full potential and learning institutions thrive. Millions of students around the world are supported throughout their education journey via Anthology's ecosystem of flagship SaaS solutions and supporting services, including the award-winning Blackboard ® (LMS), Anthology ® Student (SIS/ERP), and Anthology ® Reach (CRM). Through the Power of Together, we are uniquely inspiring educators and institutions with innovation that is meaningful, simple and intelligent to help customers redefine what's possible and create life-changing opportunities for people everywhere. Note to editors: Blackboard is the fastest-evolving LMS. In 2022, 2023, and 2024, Blackboard released more new features than any other major LMS—191 in the past 12 months alone, compared to 109 for D2L Brightspace and 79 for Instructure Canvas. This pace of innovation is publicly documented in each vendor's release notes:
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Build Trust: The First Step In AI's Journey Through Higher Education
Bruce Dahlgren is the CEO of Anthology. He's a seasoned technology executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience. I recently had the opportunity to attend a global gathering to discuss the future of education. In a fireside chat on 'Empowering Teachers and the Teaching Profession,' we discussed a central truth: Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a powerful ally in education—but only when deployed with clarity, care and trust. That message is especially relevant in higher education today, where the use of AI is accelerating, but the structures to support it are still taking shape. AI is already reshaping how we work, teach and learn, and higher education institutions are identifying new ways to move forward with clarity and confidence. Recent surveys show a growing divide between student usage and institutional readiness. A study by the Digital Education Council found that 86% of learners globally use AI in their studies, while an Inside Higher Ed report shows most institutions do not have policies for enterprise-level AI use. This gap presents an important opportunity: Before realizing AI's full potential, institutions must first build a foundation of trust, both internally and externally. Understanding The Disconnect AI is rapidly gaining adoption. Learners are using AI to generate ideas, study more efficiently and automate tasks like note taking. Faculty are exploring how AI can support grading, administrative tasks and individualized feedback. These early use cases demonstrate AI's potential, but they're often unfolding in the absence of clear institutional frameworks. The result is fragmented adoption. AI is being used, but often without structure, support or alignment across departments. Addressing this challenge requires coordinated leadership to develop responsible policies, communicate clear expectations and build trust across the institution. Responsible Adoption Begins With Governance Rather than focusing solely on emerging tools, institutions can start by asking clear, foundational questions: • Who sets AI policy? • How will data and ethics be managed? • What systems ensure accountability and transparency? Strong, cross-functional collaboration can help leaders ensure that AI tools are deployed thoughtfully. With shared policies and clear standards, institutions can create consistent, inclusive experiences that benefit all learners. Above all, educators and administrators must remain in control; technology should support, not substitute, human decision-making. AI's Value Across The Education Ecosystem AI offers meaningful benefits for every part of the academic community. Generative AI can improve efficiencies across a university's operations by automating routine tasks, surfacing insights faster and enabling smarter resource allocation. For example, AI can streamline administrative workflows like scheduling, admissions processing and student communications—reducing manual workloads and response times. It can enhance decision-making by analyzing large volumes of data to identify trends, risks and opportunities more quickly than traditional methods. In areas like IT and facilities management, AI can optimize maintenance schedules and predict service needs. By handling repetitive tasks and offering predictive insights, AI frees up staff to focus on more strategic, high-impact work—ultimately helping institutions operate more effectively and deliver better experiences for students and faculty alike. For students, AI provides individualized support; and for faculty, it streamlines administrative tasks and allows educators to focus on teaching and learning. Supporting Literacy And Inclusion Employers are increasingly looking for graduates who can leverage AI—and leverage AI responsibly. Institutions play a critical role in preparing learners to use AI ethically, effectively and with awareness of its limitations in real-world settings. To maximize these opportunities, institutions can prioritize digital and ethical AI literacy. Create environments for faculty and learners that encourage reflection, inquiry and responsible use. I've noticed some institutions are introducing exercises where students engage with AI-generated responses and then evaluate their accuracy and logic, building critical thinking and AI fluency in tandem. Open dialogue, pilot programs and cross-functional working groups can help create strong, campus-wide alignment. When institutions take a proactive and inclusive approach, they can build confidence and readiness for ongoing innovation. A Future Built On Trust AI can be a powerful tool for enabling personalized learning, dynamic assessment and more student-centered support. It empowers educators to focus on creativity and connection, and it helps students prepare for a world where adaptability and digital fluency are key. But as roles and expectations evolve, embracing innovation with care is essential. I think the real opportunity lies in leading with intention. Institutions that prioritize trust today could be the ones best equipped to shape tomorrow's most human-centered, forward-looking approaches to education. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
