Blackboard Learn FAQs

Question 1

Which LLM clients can I use with Blackboard Learn MCP?

Accepted Answer

Any MCP-compatible client can connect to Blackboard Learn MCP. This includes popular tools like Claude Desktop, Cursor, agent-board, and other custom AI applications designed to interact with MCP servers.

Question 2

Is Blackboard Learn MCP easy to deploy and configure?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it's designed for ease of use. You can quickly deploy it using Docker or Node.js. Configuration involves setting a few environment variables for your Blackboard Learn instance's OAuth2 client ID, client secret, and base URL. A free developer sandbox is available for testing.

Question 3

What educational data and functionalities does it offer?

Accepted Answer

It offers comprehensive access to educational data and functionalities through a set of dedicated tools. This includes student-focused tools for getting courses, assignments, grades, and announcements, as well as instructor-focused tools for managing submissions, viewing grade distributions, and drafting announcements.

Question 4

How does Blackboard Learn MCP handle security and data privacy?

Accepted Answer

Security and privacy are paramount. It employs robust authentication and authorization using OAuth2, enforces role-based access control (RBAC), and includes a FERPA gate for tools accessing protected student data. All access attempts are recorded in detailed, structured JSON audit logs.

Question 5

What is Blackboard Learn MCP?

Accepted Answer

Blackboard Learn MCP is a standalone Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that wraps the Blackboard Learn REST API. It provides a standardized interface for Large Language Model (LLM) clients to access structured educational data like courses, grades, assignments, and announcements.

Blackboard Learn

Blackboard Learn

Key Features

Use Cases

Key Features

Use Cases