zyBooks AI tools and content for CS courses: supporting student learning, not shortcuts

No. zyLabs grades student code using deterministic test cases. Submissions are checked against expected outputs, the same way automated tests work in professional software development. AI is involved in creating those test cases through Generate zyLabs with AI, but plays no role in evaluating student work. Grades are consistent and reproducible. 

AI Hints asks questions and offers directional nudges. It doesn’t write code or complete assignments. Think of it like a TA in office hours: “What do you think happens when n equals zero?” The system guides students back to their own reasoning. You decide whether hints are available for a given assignment. 

At this time, AI Hints is exclusive to zyLabs and is controlled at the individual lab level. This gives you granular control over which assignments offer hints, based on instructor feedback about wanting flexibility rather than a blanket setting. 

No. Students receive AI-generated hints but cannot write their own prompts or ask open-ended questions. The AI responds to the student’s code in a guided, Socratic way. It’s not a general-purpose AI assistant. 

This is at the discretion of the instructor. zyBooks gives students a supported in-platform option when they’re stuck through AI Hints. Instructors can also configure assignment settings and access zyBooks’ academic integrity resources to set and communicate their own expectations. 

Describe the assignment in plain language and the tool generates a complete zyLab for you to review. The output includes a problem prompt, starter code scaffold, auto-graded test cases covering edge cases, and a grading rubric. You review and edit everything before it goes live. Nothing publishes to students without your approval. 

Yes. zyLabs supports group projects. You can prompt the tool to create tasks assigned to individual group members within a shared project, structured the same way as individual labs.  

Email support@zybooks.com. The support team will help directly for straightforward issues. For anything more complex, they quickly route your question to a subject matter expert.  

You can use it for both. The Multiple-Choice Question Generator works at any scope, from section quizzes to finals spanning multiple chapters. You can create assessment sections within existing chapters, or use Configure zyBook mode to add a dedicated chapter for a midterm or final. 

No. The tool is context-sensitive. Select the relevant sections first, then describe what you want to assess. Questions are based on your actual zyBook content, so they stay aligned with what students are learning without any extra work on your part. 

Not at this time. AI-generated MCQs live within zyBooks Assessments and are not currently exportable to external LMS platforms. Assessments do support LTI 1.3 grade passback, so scores sync to your LMS gradebook automatically once students complete work inside zyBooks. If LMS export is important to your workflow, let your zyBooks representative know. 

Yes. zyBooks Assessments work with LTI 1.3, supporting both grade passback and assessment launch directly from Canvas, Blackboard, and other major LMS platforms. Students can begin an assessment from your LMS or from inside the zyBook. Contact support or your zyBooks representative for help with LMS configuration. 

Student privacy is the starting constraint for every AI feature zyBooks builds. No personally identifiable student information is transmitted to AI systems. Names, student IDs, email addresses, and demographic data never leave the platform. All processing runs on OpenAI Enterprise, which contractually does not use customer data for model training. Student interactions are covered under zyBooks’ existing institutional data processing agreements, and the tools are designed to comply with FERPA and applicable student privacy laws. 

Yes. A new Artificial Intelligence zyBook launches in September 2026. It covers foundational concepts through to modern applications, including generative AI and LLMs. You can request an evaluation copy now and we’ll send it to you when it becomes available. 

Yes. AI literacy chapters are embedded across a range of CS titles, including Intro to Programming, Data Science Foundations, Mobile App Development, and Computer Science Principles. Topics include large language models, computer vision, natural language processing, deep learning, prompt engineering, and ethical AI use, all designed for CS students without prior AI experience, using zyBooks’ standard interactive format. 

For active course subscriptions, the content appears when you next update, typically at the start of a new semester. If you have an existing evaluation copy, you may be prompted to update. Contact your zyBooks representative if you’re unsure whether your title has been updated.