It was standing room only at our New & Next Super Session held at InstructureCon late last month. And with good reason, because we rolled out a host of new features across the Instructure portfolio of solutions. What we’re most proud of is that each of these features was driven by feedback from our customer community, and all are designed to help educators teach better, students learn more confidently, and institutions measure and demonstrate learner growth.
Here are just a few of the highlights from our presentation. For the full rundown of all of the new announcements, you can learn more about each here in our Instructure Community.
1. Canvas news
Three tiers to fit your needs
Recently, we announced Canvas is now available in three distinct tiers, so you can choose the features and support that match your institution's needs:
- Canvas Core: Provides the accessible LMS foundation that powers essential teaching workflows for content, communication, and assessment.
- Canvas Plus: Adds enhanced tools for expanded analytics, AI, assessment insights, and content collaboration.
- Canvas Next: Delivers the full power of Canvas, including advanced AI capabilities and next-generation features.
This approach means you're not paying for features you don't need, and you can upgrade as your institution grows. Available now in North America and rolling out globally by August 15th, these tiers give you flexibility to match Canvas to your institution’s roadmap.
Meet your AI-powered course assistant
We created IgniteAI for the sole purpose of giving educators the opportunity to spend time where it matters, in front of students, and less time on administrative tasks. One of the most useful features of IgniteAI is the Agent, which serves as an AI assistant. Ignite AI Agent is built into Canvas and helps faculty design better courses, respond to student needs faster, and make data-driven decisions about instruction.
Ignite AI Agent also empowers learners by providing intelligent support and personalized guidance within the course itself. It elevates course content by helping instructors develop stronger learning materials and course structures. But that’s not all! Here are just some of the valuable Agent updates to features we're rolling out.
Portfolio enhancements: Showcase student learning
Portfolios are powerful tools for demonstrating what students have learned, and we’ve made them even stronger. Instructors can now comment directly on shared evidence, making feedback more meaningful and collaborative. Student work submitted to assignments automatically populates in their portfolios, eliminating manual data entry. And students can easily share their portfolios outside Canvas with a secure link, which is perfect for job applications, transfer applications, or showing family and mentors what they've accomplished.
These enhancements are available with all Canvas tiers and will be generally available in September 2026. Whether you're using Canvas Core or Canvas Next, your students will have access to these tools.
Block Content Editor: A smarter way to create course content
Course design just got easier. The new Block Content Editor uses modern, flexible blocks to help instructors build rich, engaging course pages without needing technical skills or HTML knowledge. It's intuitive, fast, and puts creative control back in faculty hands.
Block-based authoring is available in all Canvas tiers, making course development intuitive and fast for every instructor. For Canvas Plus and Next users, the editor includes AI-powered efficiencies with intelligent suggestions for content and layout. This means less time wrestling with formatting and more time focusing on pedagogy. Canvas Plus and Next users can join our Early Adopter Program in September 2026 to start building with blocks right away and help shape the future of the tool.
2. Canvas Career news
Canvas Career is a complete learning and career development ecosystem. With peer-to-peer communities, cohort management, and AI-powered dashboards, organizations can better align their training to delivering programs that more closely resemble the outcomes that their workforce is ultimately seeking.
Dashboard Builder with IgniteAI
Canvas Career admins can now build custom dashboards using AI assistance to visualize learner progress, engagement, and outcomes without needing to write queries or know data structures. This allows you to build the exact data view that you need and can easily share with your customers.
Learner Cohorts
We know that you handle many different people structures within your organization. Now, you can leverage those structures within Canvas Career. Institutions can organize learners into managed groups (by program, department, or interest) with granular permissions and member tracking, making it easy to run cohort-based programs at scale.
Peer-to-Peer communication
Canvas Career now includes community forums where learners can connect, ask questions, and build networks with peers and mentors—creating the social layer that keeps alumni engaged long after graduation.
3. Parchment news
The learning landscape continues to find new avenues for learners to attain the insight and knowledge they demand. With that, the ability to access the courses they need, the ability to share their learning journey, and receipt of their course completion has never been more crucial. We have added new features to Parchment to address these elements, ensuring all learners can continue their path forward.
Identity verification
When students order transcripts, you need to know they are who they say they are. Parchment is adding identity verification, letting students confirm their identity through multiple simple methods like scanning a QR code or getting a text link—no complicated processes, just quick and secure. It's coming in November 2026.
Dual enrollment
Dual enrollment opens doors for students, but the paperwork between high schools and colleges can be a nightmare. Parchment is building tools that streamline the whole process—from application through parent consent to college approval—keeping everyone on the same page and moving students forward faster. The Early Adopter Program kicks off in Q4 2026.
Expanded analytics
Digital badges are great, but institutions need to know if they're actually working—are students earning them, sharing them, and getting value from them? Parchment's expanded analytics show you everything from how many badges you've issued to how many times they've been viewed or shared, plus insights into what makes badges stick. It's available now.
Teaching and learning tools are designed to make instruction more effective and give teachers time back. Assessment and growth features provide deeper insights into how students are progressing and where they need support. And credentials and opportunity tools help students document their learning and prepare for what's next—whether that's a job, further education, or a new career.
Ready to learn more? Our team is ready to walk you through how these features fit your institution's roadmap, help you get the most value from Canvas, and guide you through the right decision about which tier is right for your needs. Start today by getting a tour of what Instructure has to offer your institution.
