Instructure Unveils AI-Powered Features and EdCo Partner Programme at InstructureCon 2024

Instructure Unveils AI-Powered Features and EdCo Partner Programme at InstructureCon 2024
Image credit: EdTech

Instructure, the company behind the Canvas virtual learning environment, announced several major initiatives at its annual InstructureCon event in early July. Highlights include the launch of the EdCo Partner Programme and the introduction of AI-powered features aimed at enhancing efficiencies for educators and providing personalized learning experiences for students.

Launch of the EdCo Partner Programme

A significant announcement from InstructureCon 2024 was the introduction of the EdCo Partner Programme. This initiative unites global tech organizations, including Grammarly and Inspera, to enhance educational impact. The program facilitates direct connections between tech companies, educators, and students within the Instructure Learning Ecosystem, promoting best practices and conducting evidence-based studies to showcase the value of ed-tech tools.

Sidharth Oberoi, VP of Partnerships at Instructure, emphasized the program's importance: “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 program helps our partners build integrations seamlessly, drive adoption of their tools and grow their impact.”

Introduction of AI-Powered Features

Instructure also introduced several AI-powered features designed to support educators and enhance student learning. These new tools, available to Canvas VLE customers, include multilingual communication support, automatic translation across 100 languages, smart searches, and AI assistants. 

A standout new product is ‘Intelligent Insights,’ which uses AI and analytics to help educators and administrators make data-informed decisions. The "Ask Your Data" feature allows users to interact with data through conversational AI, making data analysis accessible regardless 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" evaluates course preparedness to ensure consistent, high-quality educational delivery, and "LTI Usage Reporting" provides insights into the use of third-party tools for efficient resource management.

Early Adoption and Benefits

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.”

These initiatives from Instructure reflect its commitment to leveraging technology to improve educational outcomes and support educators and students in an evolving digital landscape.