LMS Giants Unveil Innovations: What’s Next for the EdTech Landscape?

Over the last few weeks, the big four commercial e-learning/LMS players— D2L (Brightspace LMS), Anthology Inc (Blackboard Learn LMS), Instructure ( Canvas LMS ), and PowerSchool (Schoology LMS)—have unveiled significant product and go-to-market (GTM) updates at their annual conferences. Given that they collectively support hundreds of millions of learners globally, these developments are expected to shake the educational technology industry.

Below are the key takeaways from each event and their expected impact on the EdTech ecosystem:

D2L Fusion 2024

• A Strategic Play in the Open Source Space: D2L's acquisition of H5P marks a significant strategic move into the open-source space and positions the company as a global leader in content creation and engagement. H5P is renowned for its AI-powered HTML5 interactive content capabilities.

• Core Product Enhancements:

-> Creator+ Integration: Alongside H5P , the Creator+ toolset simplifies the creation of engaging content without the need for third-party tools, promoting ease of use and accessibility for educators.

-> Video Capabilities: Enhanced video functionalities, including automatic chapter generation and video transcripts, provide richer media options for instructional content.

-> Competency-Based Education: New features like Master View in the gradebook and the Achievement+ add-on emphasise support for competency-based education, facilitating better tracking and assessment of student performance.

• AI Innovations:

-> D2L Lumi: Representing D2L's generative AI strategy, Lumi includes tools to auto-generate formative assessments within course creation workflows, streamlining the process for educators.

InstructureCon 2024

• AI-Driven Features:

-> Khanmigo Integration: Sal Khan announced the September availability of Khanmigo (from Khan Academy ) Teacher Tools for Canvas LMS users, featuring AI-powered lesson plan generation, quiz question creation, and more. These tools are set to expand to student use next year.

-> Smart Search and Intelligent Insights: Smart Search allows comprehensive searches across Canvas LMS content, while Intelligent Insights' "Ask Your Data" feature democratises data access, offering a conversational interface for data interaction.

• Instructure’s EdCo Partner Strategy: Instructure 's new EdCo Partner Program is a strategic initiative to enhance collaboration with third-party vendors. This program offers different tiers of membership, providing partners with greater access to data and technology support. The introduction of a new Canvas Apps page under this program aims to streamline integrations and foster innovation through collaborative efforts. This move is designed to expand Instructure 's ecosystem, making it easier for institutions to adopt and integrate complementary technologies into their LMS environment.
• Functional Improvements:

-> Block Editor: A new drag-and-drop content creation tool that simplifies template use and device-specific student view options.

-> Enhanced Speed Grader: Updates to Speed Grader now allow personalised feedback and screen capture features, improving the grading experience.

-> Selective Module Release: Improved capabilities for selective module release and content playlists offer more customisation in content delivery.

Anthology Together 2024

• New Vision, Mission, and Brand: Anthology unveiled its new mission, vision, and brand at the Anthology Together 2024 conference, encapsulated in the tagline "Power of Together." This reflects its commitment to customer-centred innovation and creating more holistic and integrated educational experiences.

• Latest Blackboard LMS Enhancements:

-> AI Conversations: This new feature promotes AI literacy by enabling students to engage in conversations with AI personas, enhancing critical thinking and engagement.

-> Content Designer and Video Studio: These tools allow instructors to create interactive and multimedia content easily, supporting more engaging and accessible learning experiences.

-> Mastery Learning Capabilities: Enhanced features allow for personalised learning paths, adapting to individual student needs and promoting better educational outcomes.

PowerSchool EDGE 2024

• AI Ecosystem and Personalised Learning: PowerSchool's EDGE 2024 conference introduced significant advancements in personalised learning through AI integration. The launch of PowerBuddy, an AI-powered assistant, aims to benefit all stakeholders in K-12 education by providing tailored educational support and insights. This move underscores PowerSchool's commitment to leveraging AI for enhancing educational outcomes and operational efficiency.

• Student-Centred Solutions: PowerSchool emphasised its focus on holistic student support with updates to its Personalised Learning Cloud. These enhancements reflect the company’s dedication to incorporating customer feedback and evolving educational needs, positioning PowerSchool as a key player in the AI-driven EdTech space.

Impact on the EdTech Ecosystem

Here are some key takeaways from the innovations listed above and their underlying impact on the EdTech ecosystem:

• Stronger AI Capabilities: Investments in AI by the major e-learning players illustrate a clear trend toward increased interactivity, streamlined content creation, and personalised learning experiences. The AI capability gap between these platforms and AI-first players such as Absorb Software and CYPHER Learning is narrowing. The biggest winners here are educational institutions, as these investments will promote better educational outcomes and delivery. We expect the e-learning market as a whole to experience top-line gains from price inflation to recoup these investments.
• D2L’s H5P Acquisition: D2L's strategy with H5P is notable for being platform-agnostic, allowing the use of H5P tools across different LMS platforms. This clever approach positions D2L to grow alongside the broader e-learning market and across all end-markets. We expect LMS competitors to either resell H5P to their customer base or seek alternative tools via M&A.
• Ecosystem-Led Growth: Instructure ’s EdCo Partner Program and D2L ’s H5P acquisition underscore a trend toward creating robust ecosystems through strategic partnerships. These initiatives are commendable and facilitate greater interoperability and collaboration within the EdTech sector, fostering innovation and expanding the capabilities of LMS platforms. We expect some competitors to emulate this strategy.
• Instructure’s Ecosystem Play: Instructure is positioning itself to play a significant role across the entire learner lifecycle, from K-12 through higher education to workforce and lifelong learning. This vision includes helping students transition between these stages with products like Parchment, An Instructure Company for dual enrolment and credentialing. While this holistic approach is promising, the commercial gains remain unclear and will depend on the successful integration and adoption of its portfolio across diverse educational environments. We would like to see evidence of this strategy reaping rewards.

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