InstructureCon 2025 Reflections: Building Forward with Purpose
As summer rolls in, so does one of the most anticipated events in the learning technology space — InstructureCon 2025. This year’s edition took place in Spokane, Washington — a beautiful setting for a few intense days of keynotes, networking, product launches, and industry reflection. It’s always one of the events I look forward to the most: a chance to reconnect with former colleagues, customers, partners, and friends — and get inspired about what’s next.
A Global Partner Community, Facing Shared Challenges
The Partner Summit opened with a keynote from Kevin, who shared reflections on the value of partnerships and the strength of the global community Instructure has built — now more than 1,100 partners and over 2,000 products across the ecosystem.
Several key themes surfaced in the opening conversations: evidence-based procurement, innovation in AI, accessibility, shifting funding models, and the steady rise of non-traditional learners. Accessibility adoption is progressing as new regulations take effect, and institutions are increasingly eager to explore how AI might support student outcomes.
One statistic that really stuck with me: 75% of companies today see a gap in skills. Diplomas are no longer the only measure of readiness — and that shift has consequences for how educational institutions design, deliver, and recognize learning.
Canvas Career: A New Direction for Non-Traditional Learning?
Among the product updates, the release of Canvas Career stood out — a move designed to support learners outside traditional higher ed, such as those in continuing education, government, or workforce development programs. It’s clearly part of a broader shift toward serving lifelong learners, with tools that help institutions align course delivery with employability outcomes.
But it also raised questions. How does this differ from Bridge, Instructure’s previous effort to support this space? What lessons were learned? And perhaps most importantly — how can this new development benefit institutions where the classic LMS no longer fits all use cases?
Some features are particularly compelling: skill mapping frameworks, CRM integration, and AI-powered insights that offer a more dynamic view of learner progress.
The Impactful Eight: A Useful Framework for the Road Ahead
One of the most thought-provoking sessions came from Melissa Loble, who introduced the “Impactful Eight”: a collection of themes that will shape teaching and learning over the coming years. These include:
- Operational efficiency & effectiveness
- The science of learning
- Education and industry partnerships
- The assessment lifecycle
- Lifelong learning
- Recognition of learning
- Generative AI
- Evidence-based design
There’s a lot to unpack in each of these — and I’ll likely return to them in future posts. But one that stood out immediately was lifelong learning. The learner journey is no longer linear. People re-skill, upskill, pivot careers, and return to learning at multiple points in their lives. This flexibility is precisely where modular, stackable pathways can have the most impact.
Evidence Beyond the Numbers
Another key takeaway came from the panel discussion with Melissa Loble, Jody Sailor, Mary Styers, and Tracy Weeks. The conversation focused on how institutions are expected to make more informed procurement decisions, especially in tight funding environments. It’s no longer enough to simply adopt technology — it has to be intentional, evidence-based, and fit for purpose.
It also raised an important nuance: is evidence just about data? Or can evidence also be seen in how tools are adopted, in the stories learners tell, and in the culture institutions build around learning? This is something I’ve been thinking more about — especially when working with very different types of institutions, from research-driven universities to smaller, workforce-focused colleges.
Generative AI: Beyond the Hype
Unsurprisingly, AI featured prominently across multiple sessions. But what struck me most was the shift from hype to intentionality. The focus was less on what AI can do, and more on how it should be used — ethically, meaningfully, and in support of human teaching and learning.
In course creation, skills mapping, assessment, and learner support — AI is clearly becoming a foundational layer. It’s not about replacing educators or instructional designers, but about giving them better tools to design impactful learning experiences.
From Keynotes to Conversations That Stick
Two keynote moments in particular stayed with me:
- Dr. Michelle R. Weise delivered an inspiring session on preparing learners for jobs that don’t exist yet. She outlined five principles that should shape this effort: navigation, wraparound supports, targeted education, integrated learning and earning, and transparent hiring. It’s a helpful framework — and one that I plan to reflect on more deeply.
- Suneel Gupta’s keynote offered something more personal. His reflections on stress, rest, and the difference between working hard for something versus working hard because of something felt particularly relevant in the education space — where purpose is essential.
My Session: Connecting the Dots in the Learner Journey
One highlight for me—outside of the keynotes—was leading the session titled “Unveiling the Mystery: Connecting the Dots from First Contact to Lasting Impact in the Lifelong Learner Journey.” In just twenty minutes, I walked attendees through how institutions can design learning ecosystems that are coherent from day one, and built to scale in support of lifelong engagement. Drawing on real-world stories from users of Portflow, Eduframe, and Qualtrics LTI, the session emphasized how careful workflow design, intentional feedback loops, and clear next steps can create meaningful learning journeys.
The goal wasn’t just to showcase product features—it was to demonstrate how each component of the Canvas ecosystem can be orchestrated to empower learner ownership and strengthen retention. By spotlighting examples from institutions like Fontys, University of Sunderland, and Jones College’s Online Workforce College—a frequent partner of ours—we illustrated how smart orchestration encourages learner agency and supports program growth.
What resonated most during Q&A was the shared appetite to move beyond siloed tools. Attendees were eager to learn how a combination of stackable credentials, integrated skills frameworks, and timely survey-based feedback can fuel deeper engagement—and ultimately foster lifelong relationships with learners. It felt like a validation of the guiding philosophy behind Drieam’s work: if you connect the dots intentionally, learners—regardless of background or trajectory—can flourish throughout their development journey.
Missed the session or want to revisit the insights?
Final Thoughts
There’s always a risk in these kinds of events to get swept up in new product announcements or big-picture trends. But what I left InstructureCon 2025 with wasn’t just a list of features or forecasts — it was a sense of renewed clarity. The learner has to remain at the center of everything.
From AI tools to flexible credentials, from policy shifts to partnership strategies — the direction is clear. The challenge, as always, is execution. And for those of us in EdTech, it’s about enabling institutions to not just keep up, but to lead with purpose.
See you again in Oslo at CanvasCon Europe!
About the Author: Mieke Ridderhof
