Montana University System Selects the Instructure Learning Platform to Extend Educational Access to Rural Learners Across the State

Rhea-AI Summary

Instructure's Canvas learning management system (LMS) has been selected by the Montana University System (the MUS) as part of a major statewide initiative to transform and modernize its learning experience, benefiting over 40,000 students across 11 institutions. The move aims to increase student success, provide flexible learning environments, and extend student access regardless of geographic location. The MUS chose Instructure based on factors such as ease of use, mobile-friendliness, strong analytics, Canvas Commons, and flexible interoperability with outside tools.

Insights

Market Research Analyst

The announcement of a statewide implementation of Canvas LMS by the Montana University System signifies a substantial contract for Instructure, potentially increasing the company's revenue base and solidifying its market position in the educational technology (edtech) sector. The integration of Canvas LMS across multiple institutions suggests a long-term commitment that may lead to stable, recurring revenue. Such statewide adoptions can serve as case studies for Instructure when negotiating contracts with other states or large educational entities, thus strengthening their business development efforts.

From a market perspective, the adoption of a single LMS vendor can streamline operational efficiencies and reduce costs for the educational institutions involved. For Instructure, the economies of scale gained through such a large deployment can lead to better margins. Additionally, the focus on interoperability and mobile-friendliness aligns with the broader trend in edtech towards inclusive and accessible learning environments, which is increasingly becoming a competitive differentiator in the market.

Financial Analyst

The selection of Instructure's Canvas LMS by the Montana University System is likely to be viewed positively by investors, as it may lead to an upward revision of revenue forecasts and potentially improve the company's valuation. The contract's scale, covering over 40,000 students, provides a significant boost to Instructure's user base, which could enhance the company's bargaining power in future pricing negotiations with other clients.

Investors should also consider the potential for cross-selling opportunities within the MUS. With the adoption of additional services like Impact by Instructure and Canvas Credentials, there is a clear path for Instructure to deepen its relationship with the MUS, offering a suite of products that can contribute to an increase in the average revenue per user (ARPU).

Educational Technology Expert

The adoption of a unified LMS across a state's entire public university system is indicative of the growing importance of digital transformation in higher education. The emphasis on evidence-based edtech solutions such as Canvas LMS and Impact by Instructure suggests a strategic focus on data-driven decision-making in education. This can enhance the learning experience by providing educators with actionable insights to tailor instruction to student needs.

Furthermore, the commitment to 24/7 support and the flexibility to integrate with various external tools demonstrates an understanding of the diverse and evolving requirements of modern learners. Given that the MUS includes institutions with a range of missions and student bodies, from research universities to community colleges, the ability of Canvas LMS to cater to this diversity is critical.

15 states have now deployed statewide Canvas LMS implementations         

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Instructure, the leading learning ecosystem and maker of Canvas, today announced that the Montana University System (the MUS), the state's system of public colleges and universities, has selected the Canvas learning management system (LMS) as part of a major statewide initiative to transform and modernize its learning experience and increase student success. By unifying the learning experience on Canvas LMS along with Impact by Instructure and Canvas Credentials, educators across the state system will be able to access foundational, evidence-based edtech solutions to support their instruction. Over 40,000 students across 11 institutions will benefit from flexible learning environments through this statewide implementation of Instructure's learning solutions.

Partnering with instructure is part of a concerted effort to extend student access, regardless of students' geographic location. The MUS has a long history of online learning to reach its remote learners, and providing Instructure's interoperable solutions will allow the state to focus on increasing the remote delivery of resources such as mental health support, advising and tutoring, in addition to its robust online outreach. By ensuring courses and assessments are accessible to a wide range of students, more adults have the potential to secure higher-paying jobs. 

The MUS comprises 11 public colleges and universities spanning 147,000 square miles, including leading public research and doctoral-level institutions, and comprehensive 4-year and 2-year colleges and universities. Moving to a single vendor across Montana's public colleges and universities will help lower ongoing licensing costs, provide smaller institutions access to new tools, including 24/7 support and will provide students with an improved and more consistent experience across the MUS. After an extensive vetting process, the university system selected the Instructure's solutions based on several decision-influencing factors, such as:

• Ease of use and intuitiveness
• Mobile-friendliness
• Strong analytics that are easily accessible to faculty
• Canvas Commons, which enables easy sharing of content within and across institutions
• Flexible interoperability with outside tools

"We chose Instructure to provide our higher education institutions in Montana the tools to work together more effectively," said Joseph Thiel, Interim Deputy Commissioner, Academic, Research and Student Affairs at the Montana University System. "Our vision is to provide Montana students a seamless learning experience of the highest quality, no matter where they reside or which of our institutions they attend."

The MUS also selected Impact by Instructure, a robust data and analytics tool that provides actionable insights about edtech usage. This resource empowers educators and administrators to gauge the efficacy of edtech tools, helping them tailor educational approaches to unique student needs. By harnessing this real-time data, the MUS can expedite program completion for students, allowing them the flexibility to pursue programs across any institution within the state.

"Increasing accessibility to education is a pressing need in the United States and throughout the world and MUS is an excellent example of a coordinated statewide effort to reach students traditionally left behind," said Melissa Loble, Chief Academic Officer at Instructure. "By implementing these solutions at scale, the state is making the transition to higher education smoother for students and providing opportunities for learning, regardless of geographic limitations. The potential impact of providing consistent access to high-quality education is limitless."

The statewide implementation will be available to all MUS students by fall 2025.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains "forward-looking" statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the potential, timing and examples of any strategic alternatives. All statements other than statements of historical facts are "forward-looking statements," including statements relating to expectations and benefits of our strategy, market share and growth opportunities, organic platform expansion, and future business and product capabilities. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, but are based on management's expectations as of the date of this press release and assumptions that are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements include the risk factors described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on February 17, 2023 and other documents filed with the SEC and could cause actual results to vary from expectations. All information provided in this press release is as of the date hereof and Instructure undertakes no duty to update this information except as required by law.

ABOUT INSTRUCTURE
Instructure (NYSE: INST) is an education technology company dedicated to elevating student success, amplifying the power of teaching, and inspiring everyone to learn together. Today the Instructure Learning Ecosystem, comprised of its flagship product Canvas LMS and several products serving K-12 and higher education, supports tens of millions of educators and learners around the world. Learn more at www.instructure.com.

CONTACT:
Brian Watkins
Corporate Communications
Instructure
(801) 658-7525
brian.watkins@instructure.com 

 

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SOURCE Instructure

FAQ

What is the major statewide initiative announced by Instructure?

Instructure's Canvas learning management system (LMS) has been selected by the Montana University System (the MUS) as part of a major statewide initiative to transform and modernize its learning experience.

How many students will benefit from the statewide implementation of Instructure's learning solutions?

Over 40,000 students across 11 institutions will benefit from flexible learning environments through this statewide implementation of Instructure's learning solutions.

What factors influenced the MUS to choose Instructure's solutions?

The MUS selected Instructure's solutions based on factors such as ease of use, mobile-friendliness, strong analytics, Canvas Commons, and flexible interoperability with outside tools.

Who is the Interim Deputy Commissioner at the Montana University System?

Joseph Thiel is the Interim Deputy Commissioner, Academic, Research and Student Affairs at the Montana University System.