# Blackboard Learn + MentorAI Integration > Source: https://ibl.ai/resources/integrations/blackboard-mentorai *Embed purpose-built AI tutoring agents directly into Blackboard Learn — without replacing your LMS or compromising student data.* Blackboard Learn is one of the most widely deployed LMS platforms in higher education. With the ibl.ai MentorAI integration, institutions can layer intelligent, role-specific AI tutoring agents on top of their existing Blackboard environment. MentorAI agents are purpose-built for education — not generic chatbots. Each agent understands course context, student progress, and learning objectives pulled directly from Blackboard, enabling truly personalized academic support at scale. Because ibl.ai runs on your infrastructure, your institution owns the agents, the data, and the models. There is zero vendor lock-in, and the integration is designed to meet FERPA, HIPAA, and SOC 2 compliance requirements from day one. ## Capabilities ### Contextual AI Tutoring Inside Blackboard MentorAI agents launch directly within Blackboard course shells via LTI, giving students instant access to a course-aware AI tutor without leaving their familiar LMS environment. ### Personalized Learning Pathways Agents analyze each student's Blackboard activity, grades, and engagement history to tailor explanations, suggest resources, and adapt pacing to individual learning needs. ### 24/7 On-Demand Academic Support Students receive immediate, accurate answers to course questions at any hour, reducing pressure on instructors and support staff while improving learner confidence and retention. ### Instructor Alerts and At-Risk Detection MentorAI surfaces early warning signals — such as repeated struggles with specific concepts — and pushes alerts back into Blackboard so instructors can intervene proactively. ### Institution-Owned AI with Zero Lock-In All agent code, training data, and model weights run on your infrastructure. Your institution retains full ownership and can switch, modify, or expand agents at any time. ### FERPA-Compliant by Design Student data never leaves your institution's environment. ibl.ai's architecture is built to satisfy FERPA, HIPAA, and SOC 2 requirements without additional configuration. ## Setup ### Step 1: Provision Your ibl.ai MentorAI Instance (~1-2 days) Work with the ibl.ai team to deploy MentorAI on your institution's infrastructure or private cloud tenant. Configure your preferred AI model and data residency settings. Requirements: - Institution server or private cloud environment - ibl.ai license agreement - IT administrator access ### Step 2: Register MentorAI as an LTI 1.3 Tool in Blackboard (~2-4 hours) In Blackboard Learn's Administrator panel, register ibl.ai MentorAI as an external LTI 1.3 tool provider using the client ID and OIDC endpoints supplied by ibl.ai. Requirements: - Blackboard Learn System Administrator role - ibl.ai LTI 1.3 client credentials - Blackboard Learn SaaS or self-hosted instance ### Step 3: Configure Blackboard REST API Access (~2-3 hours) Create a Blackboard REST API application in the Developer Portal and grant MentorAI the required OAuth 2.0 scopes for reading course content, enrollments, and grade data. Requirements: - Blackboard Developer Portal account - OAuth 2.0 application credentials - Appropriate data access scopes approved by your institution ### Step 4: Configure and Train Your MentorAI Agents (~1-3 days) Use the ibl.ai Agentic OS console to define agent roles, personas, and knowledge boundaries. Ingest course syllabi, materials, and institutional policies to ground each agent in your curriculum. Requirements: - Course content in PDF, DOCX, or SCORM format - ibl.ai Agentic OS admin access - Instructional design input recommended ### Step 5: Deploy MentorAI Inside Blackboard Courses (~30 minutes per course) Add the MentorAI LTI placement to selected Blackboard course shells. Instructors can enable the AI mentor from within their course menu, making it immediately available to enrolled students. Requirements: - Instructor or Course Builder role in Blackboard - LTI tool placement approved by administrator ### Step 6: Monitor, Iterate, and Scale (~Ongoing) Use the MentorAI analytics dashboard to review student engagement, common questions, and at-risk signals. Refine agent knowledge and expand deployment across additional courses and departments. Requirements: - MentorAI analytics dashboard access - Ongoing instructor and admin review cadence ## Technical Requirements **Blackboard Learn Requirements:** - Blackboard Learn SaaS (Ultra or Original experience) or self-hosted 3900.x+ - LTI 1.3 and LTI Advantage enabled on the instance - Blackboard REST API v3 access with OAuth 2.0 - System Administrator access for tool registration - Blackboard Developer Portal account for API application registration **ibl.ai MentorAI Infrastructure:** - Institution-managed server, private cloud, or dedicated cloud tenant (AWS, Azure, GCP) - Minimum 8-core CPU, 32GB RAM for base deployment (scales with concurrent users) - Docker and Kubernetes support for containerized agent deployment - Outbound HTTPS access from Blackboard to MentorAI endpoints - SSL/TLS certificates for all MentorAI service endpoints - ibl.ai Agentic OS license **Security and Compliance:** - Data residency must be configured to keep student PII within institutional boundaries - FERPA data handling agreement with ibl.ai - SOC 2 Type II audit documentation available upon request - Role-based access control configured in both Blackboard and MentorAI admin consoles - Audit logging enabled for all AI agent interactions ## FAQ **Q: Does MentorAI replace Blackboard Learn or require migrating to a new LMS?** No. MentorAI integrates directly into your existing Blackboard Learn environment via LTI 1.3. Students and instructors continue using Blackboard as normal — MentorAI appears as an embedded tool within course shells. No migration is required. **Q: Is student data shared with ibl.ai or any third-party AI provider?** No. The ibl.ai MentorAI integration is designed so that all AI inference and student data processing occurs on your institution's own infrastructure. Student data never leaves your environment, ensuring full FERPA compliance and institutional data ownership. **Q: Which version of Blackboard Learn is supported?** The integration supports Blackboard Learn SaaS (both Ultra and Original Experience) running version 3900.x or later, as well as self-hosted deployments with LTI 1.3 and REST API v3 enabled. Contact ibl.ai to confirm compatibility with your specific instance. **Q: How long does it take to deploy MentorAI in Blackboard?** A typical deployment — from infrastructure provisioning to live agents in courses — takes between one and two weeks. The LTI and API configuration steps can be completed in under a day by an IT administrator. Agent training and content ingestion vary by course complexity. **Q: Can instructors customize what the MentorAI agent knows and how it responds?** Yes. Instructors and instructional designers can define each agent's knowledge base, persona, tone, and boundaries using the ibl.ai Agentic OS console. Agents can be scoped to specific courses, topics, or institutional policies to ensure accurate and appropriate responses. **Q: Does MentorAI support multiple languages for international student populations?** Yes. MentorAI agents can be configured to support multilingual interactions, allowing students to engage in their preferred language. Language support depends on the underlying AI model selected during deployment and can be customized per course or institution. **Q: How does MentorAI handle academic integrity concerns?** MentorAI is designed as a tutoring and mentoring tool, not an answer-generation service. Institutions can configure agents to guide students through problem-solving processes rather than providing direct answers, and all interactions are logged for instructor review. **Q: What ongoing support and maintenance does ibl.ai provide after deployment?** ibl.ai provides dedicated onboarding, technical integration support, and ongoing platform updates. Because the infrastructure runs on your environment, your IT team manages the underlying servers, while ibl.ai handles agent software updates and provides documentation and training resources.