Entrepreneurs and Leaders
PRnewswire | August 02, 2023
Instructure, the leading learning platform and maker of Canvas, today announced enhanced and expanded Instructure Learning Platform solutions, further demonstrating the company's ongoing commitment to innovation in edtech and its mission to make teachers' work easier and improve student success. Today the company unveiled enhancements centered around core teaching and learning, advanced analytics, lifelong learning and platform integration during InstructureCon 2023, the company's annual user conference held July 26-28 in Denver.
Core Teaching and Learning
To better support millions of educators and learners using Canvas around the world, Instructure showcased continued innovation to their core teaching and learning solutions, all designed to save educators time, personalize learning experiences for students and simplify complex tasks for administrators. Today, AI-assisted course templating was announced, giving educators and instructional designers the power to quickly create elegant page layouts using dynamic methods, making courses both more engaging and intuitive. This latest release, soon available in beta, joins the growing list of new functionalities specifically designed to improve educator efficiency and reduce administrative tasks, such as bulk publishing for modules, enhanced Gradebook filters, Course Pacing and the ability to submit assignments on behalf of students. Students also gain a more personalized, equitable experience from Canvas solutions with tailored in-context support, like the beta AI-powered right-and-wrong answer rationale and integration of AI writing tutor Khanmigo, made available through the just-announced partnership with Khan Academy. These tools give instructors supplemental AI-powered tools to support students in and out of the classroom. "This work underscores our continued commitment to build the extensibility and advanced capabilities of Canvas products, while also promoting simplicity for both educators and learners," said Shiren Vijiasingam, Instructure's Chief Product Officer. "With the introduction of AI capabilities into our core products—both with our own innovation and that of our strategic partners found in our beta emerging AI marketplace—we aim to meet the immediate and future needs of our community with substantive improvements that help to drive best practice in pedagogy and curriculum."
Advanced Analytics
Building upon the rapid adoption of the new data pipeline for Canvas Data 2 and the recently released Canvas Admin Analytics, included in Canvas LMS, Instructure also showcased new advanced analytics solutions now available in beta. This allows administrators to personalize the way they see and interact with their data in a fraction of the time. Injecting conversational AI into Instructure analytics products empowers educators to ask deeper questions of their data using everyday language. This results in more timely, actionable insights to drive better outcomes for students.
Lifelong Learning
In response to rapidly evolving labor markets and growing demand for alternate educational paths, Instructure's new streamlined offering of Canvas LMS, Canvas Credentials and Canvas Catalog provide institutions with a turnkey solution to diversify course offerings, attract new learners and drive continued institutional growth. As an evolution of this offering, today the company previewed innovative work in credentialing and learner records. Instructure is launching a learner passport in beta designed to empower learners to carry stackable, verifiable evidence of the competencies acquired throughout their learning journey. "We believe the future requires a portable, shareable record to show the skills and achievements an individual mastered with either employers or institutions," Vijiasingam said. "We know that learners are looking for alternative paths to employment and education and this gives them the power to pursue their own unique learning journeys."
Platform Integration
To realize the company's mission of delivering the most comprehensive, seamless learning platform on the market, Instructure showcased new deep integration between their solutions, like Canvas LMS and assessment management system Mastery Connect, and a seamless learning experience across Canvas LMS, Canvas Catalog and Canvas Credentials. This cohesive platform experience is strengthened by a foundation of data brought to life by advanced analytics. As part of the platform, the Instructure Community, edtech's largest online community, now has PandaBot, an AI-powered chatbot available to all community members. "Whether educators and learners are using Instructure products or other educational technologies on the Instructure Learning Platform, they deserve an experience that puts teaching and learning front and center," said Steve Daly, Instructure's Chief Executive Officer. "Removing the barriers between these solutions allows everyone to navigate freely so they can focus on the content of their education and not the tech. Today we shared our vision of what a cohesive platform experience could and should look like–and our strategy to get there."
ABOUT INSTRUCTURECON
InstructureCon 2023, Instructure's professional learning event for educators and edtech users, with a 2023 theme of Making Moments, features prominent keynotes from Deepak Chopra, Arianna Huffington and Dr. Jordan Nguyen. With more than 130 sessions from fellow educators and inspiring thinkers, InstructureCon addresses some of the most impactful edtech insights and tips on resilience, wellness and self-care for educators. This year's InstructureCon event takes place July 25-28, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center in Denver.
ABOUT INSTRUCTURE
Instructure is an education technology company dedicated to elevating student success, amplifying the power of teaching, and inspiring everyone to learn together. Today the Instructure Learning Platform, comprised of its flagship product Canvas LMS and several products serving K-12 and higher education, supports tens of millions of educators and learners around the world.
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Talent Development
PRnewswire | July 03, 2023
edX, a leading global online learning platform from 2U, Inc. , today announced that the University of Cape Town (UCT), Africa's leading university, is the newest member of the global edX partner network, joining hundreds of universities and institutions in expanding access to the world's best education. Additionally, UCT is partnering with edX to create 15 new courses and five new professional certificate programs, with more content launching throughout 2023.
UCT has been at the forefront of online education for the past 15 years and has worked closely with 2U since 2007 to develop over 80 online executive education courses that have been taken by 120K+ students. UCT's partnership with edX will further strengthen the University's online footprint, allowing it to continue providing transformative educational opportunities to more people worldwide.
"We are thrilled to be joining the edX global community of universities," said Professor Harsha Kathard, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning at the University of Cape Town. "Our partnership with 2U revolutionized the way we deliver education, bringing UCT's unique blend of academic excellence and social consciousness online. As we further our commitment to making our diverse areas of expertise accessible to all, our partnership with edX opens an exciting new avenue for this mission. We're particularly enthusiastic about the opportunity to enrich the edX platform with a breadth of courses and specialized knowledge highlighting the diverse aspects of Africa as a continent."
UCT's full portfolio of online program offerings developed with 2U encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including finance, investment, technology, business leadership, marketing, project management, and engineering the built environment, among others.
"UCT, as one of our most significant executive education partners, is a pivotal addition to the edX community," said Andrew Hermalyn, President of Partnerships at 2U, the parent company of edX. "Our partnership not only underscores edX and UCT's shared commitment to providing accessible, high-quality education to learners across the globe, but also plays a critical role in bridging the skills gap for people in South Africa. UCT's expertise in African-centered content enriches our platform and brings invaluable diversity to our learning community."
About edX:
edX is the global online learning platform that exists to help learners everywhere unlock their potential. edX was founded by Harvard and MIT in 2012 to make the world's best education available to everyone. Today, as a 2U, Inc. company (Nasdaq: TWOU), edX connects 76 million people worldwide with the skills, knowledge, and support to achieve their goals. Together with the world's leading universities and companies, edX offers thousands of free and open courses, professional certificates, boot camps, credit-bearing micro credentials, and undergraduate and graduate degrees.
About the University of Cape Town:
Founded in 1829, University of Cape Town has a proud tradition of academic excellence and effecting social change and development through its pioneering scholarship, faculty, and students. UCT's reputation for excellence is underpinned by its distinctive research, led by its distinguished faculty, many of whom are leaders in their field.
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Education Technology
PR Newswire | September 12, 2023
Meazure Learning, a premier provider of full-service test development and delivery solutions for higher education and professional testing, announced today the acquisition of Examity, a leader in online proctoring for academic and credentialing programs. The acquisition allows Meazure Learning to expand its global footprint and strengthen its position as a leading provider of secure, user focused exam administration solutions.
Meazure Learning and Examity share a common commitment to creating the most innovative testing solutions and providing an exceptional client experience. The combination of the companies' extensive expertise in the higher education and credentialing verticals paired with industry-leading secure proctoring technologies and global operational footprint gives Meazure Learning the opportunity to bring a new level of proctoring scale and flexibility to testing programs around the world. By combining these strengths, the company seeks to set a new standard in exam security and provide a better user experience for its clients and test takers.
"I am thrilled at the opportunity Meazure Learning's acquisition of Examity will bring to our clients and the broader industry," said Jim Holm, CEO of Examity. "Examity clients will now have access to leading test development and psychometric services, exam delivery solutions, and a global network of test centers in addition to the powerful combination of our proctoring technologies."
"The acquisition of Examity goes beyond combining the resources of two companies," said Tim McClinton, CEO of Meazure Learning. "Unifying our two companies can position us to set a new standard for security, scalability, and innovation in the testing industry. In addition to the business opportunities created through this transaction, Meazure Learning and Examity share an inherent culture of excellence that makes us a good fit to move forward together. Our teams have been, and will continue to be, maniacally focused on our clients, providing exceptional service and building long-term relationships founded on integrity and innovation."
About Meazure Learning
Meazure Learning provides secure, reliable, and convenient test development, administration, and delivery solutions for academic and professional credentialing programs. The tech-enabled services company combines human expertise with end-to-end software solutions to provide its suite of services and achieve the optimal testing experience. With remote, test center, hybrid, and event-based delivery capabilities, it adapts to the unique needs of each exam program and test-taker. Meazure Learning empowers its clients, test-takers, and industry leaders through its mission to move people forward in their educational, professional, and personal lives. To learn more, visit Meazure Learning at meazurelearning.com.
About Examity
Examity was founded to meet the needs of colleges, employers, and certification providers looking to ensure integrity. Since its founding ten years ago, Examity has partnered with hundreds of institutions and certification programs worldwide to provide a cost-effective and flexible online proctoring and learning validation solution. For more information, visit examity.com.
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