LearnWise AI Assistant: From Pilot to Institution-Wide Launch

Over the past academic year, the Teaching and Learning Academy has been working in close partnership with LearnWise and colleagues across the institution to evaluate an AI assistant designed to help students navigate their Canvas Courses more effectively. The assistant helps students identify course content, locate key information such as assessment deadlines and module materials, and generates simple summaries, all with the intention of reducing the need to contact their tutor directly.

The evaluation was led by Emma Smith and Alicia Murray, who designed and delivered a staged programme of data collection to build a robust picture of how the tool was performing in practice. Their work examined a central question at the heart of the project: could an AI assistant reduce unnecessary email traffic between students and academic staff by making routine course information easier to find? The evaluation drew on a range of data sources across multiple phases, including surveys with module leaders and student feedback gathered through the modules themselves. This was delivered to the institutional AI education working group and the project board. The Board approved the release LearnWise across all Canvas modules.

Following that decision, the Educational Technology team worked to prepare for a full institutional rollout, and LearnWise went live across all Canvas modules on 1st September 2026. Students returning this semester will find the assistant available directly within their Canvas courses, ready to help them find the information they need, when they need it.

For staff, guidance is available to help you understand how the new functionality works, what the assistant can and cannot do, and how it fits alongside your existing teaching and support practice. You can access that guidance here: Staff Guides - AI Assistant in Canvas