Blackboard is partnering with Amazon’s Alexa to launch a new integration

Washington, D.C.-based edtech company Blackboard announced that it’s partnering with Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa to launch a new Blackboard Learn skill.

Blackboard Learn is the edtech company’s flagship learning management system. This new skill will allow learners to access information about their student profile and coursework by asking Alexa simple questions. As the skill gets updated, it will expand to offer other information like grades, messages and course announcements, a press release states.

“We’re committed to helping learners seamlessly integrate their studies into their everyday lives and our collaboration with Amazon Alexa is another way that we are helping to enhance this experience for learners everywhere,” said Kathy Vieira, the chief strategy, portfolio and marketing officer at Blackboard, in a statement.

The integration with the Alexa Education Skill API allows students to ask questions like “Alexa, when is my next math quiz?” and the virtual assistant will be able to reply with an actual date. In order to gain access to the skill, students will have to link their Amazon and Blackboard accounts, and is accessible for institutions who are using either Blackboard Learn Original or Learn Ultra learning management systems.

Amazon reported via the Alexa Blog that the Blackboard integration will go live later this year.

Earlier this year we reported that Blackboard plans to move its global headquarters to Northern Virginia, and a Blackboard spokesperson told Technical.ly that the edtech company will complete its move to Reston, Virginia, by January 2020. This relocation puts Blackboard closer in proximity to Amazon’s second headquarters.

“AWS is a longtime Blackboard partner,” a Blackboard spokesperson said. “We are always looking for ways to simplify and streamline the educational experience for learners, so the decision to collaborate on the Blackboard Learn skill for Alexa was a natural extension of our partnership.”

Blackboard intends to continue to grow its partnership with Amazon through more initiatives.