InstructureCon showcases new AI features and EdCo Partner Programme
Instructure, the company behind the Canvas virtual learning environment, announced several significant initiatives at its annual InstructureCon event, held earlier in July.
Among the highlights are the launch of the EdCo Partner Programme and the introduction of AI-powered features aimed at improving efficiencies for educators and providing personalised learning experiences for students.
EdCo Partner Programme Launched
One of the key announcements from InstructureCon 2024 was the introduction of the EdCo Partner Programme.
This new initiative brings together global tech organisations, including Grammarly and Inspera. The programme aims to enhance educational impact by facilitating direct connections between tech companies, educators, and students within the Instructure Learning Ecosystem. It offers opportunities for sharing best practices and conducting evidence-based studies to demonstrate the value of ed-tech tools.
“The creation of the Instructure EdCo Partner Programme extends our long-held belief in the power of the ecosystem by connecting a broad partner community with our education users in ways that allow them to jointly create learning environments that address their most pressing challenges. The programme helps our partners build integrations seamlessly, drive adoption of their tools and grow their impact,”” said Sidharth Oberoi, VP of Partnerships at Instructure.
AI-Powered Features for Enhanced Learning
In addition to the EdCo Partner Programme, Instructure introduced several AI-powered features designed to support educators and enhance student learning.
Recognising the importance of AI in modern education, these new features are available to Canvas VLE customers. They include multilingual communication support, automatic translation across 100 languages, smart searches, and AI assistants.
A notable new product is ‘Intelligent Insights,’ which uses AI and analytics to help educators and administrators make data-informed decisions.
The "Ask Your Data" enables users to interact with data through conversational AI, making data analysis accessible to all individuals irrespective of technical expertise. The "Students in Need of Attention" tool identifies students requiring additional support based on specific indicators set by schools or institutions. "Course Readiness" assesses course preparedness to ensure consistent, high-quality educational delivery. Whilst "LTI Usage Reporting" offers insights into the usage of third-party tools, assisting in efficient resource management.
Mark Bramwell, CIO of Oxford Said Business School, commented on the benefits of Intelligent Insights:
"We're proud to be an early adopter of Intelligent Insights. We understand the value and importance of data in addressing student needs and measuring and enhancing educational impact.
“With this, we look to enable and empower our people with the latest digital capabilities so they can continue to deliver world-leading teaching and innovation and best equip and prepare our students with the digital skills they will need in the workplace.”
