During the week of July 20, NMC Ed Tech colleagues Eric Carlson and Ben Post made their way to the home of Churchill Downs, Louisville Slugger, Muhammad Ali, and everyone’s favorite 1970s accessory—the disco ball!—for InstructureCon 2026.
Where is that, you might ask?
Louisville, Kentucky, of course!
And what is InstructureCon?
InstructureCon is education technology company Instructure’s annual conference and technology expo, held to provide educators and administrators with an opportunity to learn about the latest innovations in Canvas, NMC’s learning management system (LMS). This year’s Instructure-led keynotes focused on Canvas security enhancements following May’s data security breach and outlined the company’s plan for building a more secure, resilient, and reliable platform. Invited keynote speakers tackled the most pressing (and popular) topic in education today—artificial intelligence—offering insights into how AI is poised to reshape teaching, learning, and the workplace in the years ahead. Many of the featured sessions explored how institutions and technology companies are developing secure, education-focused AI tools that can support student learning while helping instructors maintain academic integrity.
Beyond AI, the conference emphasized improving the Canvas experience for both students and instructors. Instructure shared upcoming initiatives focused on enhanced security, outage preparedness, administrative efficiency, and AI-powered learning tools designed to guide students throughout the learning process rather than simply “providing answers.” Several institutions, including the University of Illinois and the University of Michigan, showcased successful campus-wide AI literacy and tutoring programs.
Other sessions demonstrated practical frameworks for evaluating educational technology, AI-driven personalization that adapts learning materials to individual student needs and interests, and emerging communication tools that aim to deliver timely information directly within Canvas rather than relying on email and other, less visible communication methods.
The best part of InstructureCon was the opportunity to step away from the day-to-day, connect with colleagues from around the country, and return to Traverse City with fresh ideas. Eric and Ben came away with new perspectives and practical takeaways that they hope will find their way into NMC’s Canvas environment in the months ahead.