How a top US university deployed an AI assistant in Canvas to help students navigate course resources

A top US university (anonymized) partnered with Stack AI to deploy an AI assistant in Canvas - a course management system - to help students navigate through the course resources.

Opportunity: Empower students with tools to improve their learning experience

The top US university identified the following challenges faced by students:

• Information Overload: Students often struggle to manage the vast amount of information provided in their courses, leading to difficulties in finding relevant materials quickly.
• Understanding Complex Concepts: Some students face difficulties in grasping complex topics and need additional support to understand and apply concepts.
• Lack of Personalized Feedback: Students benefit from personalized feedback, but large class sizes can make it difficult for instructors to provide individualized attention.
• Engagement and Motivation: Keeping students engaged and motivated throughout the course is crucial, but traditional methods may not always be effective.

Solution: CanvasGPT, the first educational AI assistant at Acme University

The top US university deployed an AI assistant integrated with Canvas using Stack AI.

CanvasGPT, the name of the AI assistant, addresses the identified challenges by:

• Helping students quickly find relevant course materials and resources, reducing the time spent searching and allowing for more focused study sessions.
• Providing additional explanations, examples, and resources for difficult topics, helping students grasp complex concepts more effectively.
• Offering tailored feedback on assignments and progress, giving students the personalized attention they need despite large class sizes.
• Incorporating interactive elements, such as quizzes and gamified learning experiences, to keep students engaged and motivated when exploring a topic.

Results: Boost in student satisfaction and reduction in time from faculty

CanvasGPT was heavily used by the students to navigate through the course.

Here are some of the key outcomes:

• Course Rating Increased: Course rating increased by 27%, reflecting improved student satisfaction.
• Faculty Time Saved: Faculty time spent on solving administrative and course-related questions was reduced by 64%.
• Improved Student Outcomes: Student outcomes improved by 32%, as reflected in their grades.

Other implementation facts:

• Rapid Deployment: The chatbot was released in a short period of time - 4 weeks.
• Seamless Integration: Stack AI made the integration with Canvas very easy.
• Ease of Use: No need for technical assistance - the teaching assistant and professor handled their own CanvasGPT. Updating materials is very easy.