Virtual Ed Platform Adds Integration with Canvas

InSpace

InSpace

InSpace, a new virtual education platform that allows students and instructors to interact online much like they would in physical spaces, has announced integration with Instructure's Canvas learning management system. The integration will allow students and faculty to use InSpace through the LMS without having to launch other applications.

InSpace, conceived by a Champlain College professor, lets participants move themselves — represented by video circles — around in a virtual space. For example, they can join a classroom or a group; they can hear and converse with others; and they can share screen contents.

The platform features:

  • Videoconferencing for learning and socializing;
  • Synchronous and asynchronous chat functions;
  • Mobile notifications; and
  • Virtual office hours for professors and administrators.

Along with the Canvas integration, the program is available as a mobile app and browser-based application.

"We have spoken with hundreds of fellow educators who were dissatisfied with the experience of teaching with videoconferencing platforms that were designed for business, not the classroom. They lacked human interactions and social cues necessary for learning," said CEO Narine Hall, an associate professor of data science and machine learning at Champlain, in a press release. "Educators overwhelmingly told us that they want better ways of connecting with their students by creating virtual communities with course study spaces and having virtual offices for professors and administrators. InSpace is a solution that complements teaching — it adds flexibility, without disrupting learning. Integrating with Canvas enables us to quickly bring these benefits to the largest group of educators and students."

InSpace has been picked up by educators in multiple colleges, including the University of California Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of San Francisco.

"InSpace made it possible for students to work closely together in small groups, and to collaborate with faculty on assignments," noted Allan Bower, a professor of engineering at Brown University. "Students have appreciated the additional flexibility of online meetings, and we plan to make these a permanent feature of the class."

Educators with Canvas accounts are being offered a free semester of Office Hours when they attend an online demonstration of InSpace.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • glowing digital brain above a chessboard with data charts and flowcharts

    Why AI Strategy Matters (and Why Not Having One Is Risky)

    If your institution hasn't started developing an AI strategy, you are likely putting yourself and your stakeholders at risk, particularly when it comes to ethical use, responsible pedagogical and data practices, and innovative exploration.

  • laptop screen with a video play icon, surrounded by parts of notebooks, pens, and a water bottle on a student desk

    New AI Tool Generates Video Explanations Based on Course Materials

    AI-powered studying and learning platform Studyfetch has launched Imagine Explainers, a new video creator that utilizes artificial intelligence to generate 10- to 60-minute explainer videos for any topic.

  • cloud and circuit patterns with AI stamp

    Cloud Management Startup Launches Infrastructure Intelligence Tool

    A new AI-powered infrastructure intelligence tool from cloud management startup env0 aims to turn the fog of sprawling, enterprise-scale deployments into crisp, queryable insight, minus the spreadsheets, scripts, and late-night Slack threads.

  • Stylized illustration showing cybersecurity elements like shields, padlocks, and secure cloud icons on a neutral, minimalist digital background

    Microsoft Announces Security Advancements

    Microsoft has announced major security advancements across its product portfolio and practices. The work is part of its Secure Future Initiative (SFI), a multiyear cybersecurity transformation the company calls the largest engineering project in company history.