Canvas Student Insights with AI

AI-powered insights for educators and students, delivering real-time progress summaries, actionable analytics, and personalized study plans directly from your Canvas dashboard.

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Inspiration

My wife and I wanted to better support her son in school, but navigating Canvas was a constant struggle. Each teacher organized grades, assignments, and resources differently, making it hard to get a clear view of his performance. Even when we found the information, it lacked the context we needed to take actionable steps. We needed more than just raw dataβ€”we needed a tool that could summarize his performance and create an actionable plan to help him improve. That’s when we realized that with Chrome's Built-in AI (Gemini Nano), we could turn this vision into reality.

What It Does

Canvas Student Insights with AI simplifies the complexity of Canvas. Using Gemini Nano, it transforms raw Canvas data into meaningful insights and actionable recommendations. The extension provides:

  • A "Due Now" List: Displays assignments due today or soon.
  • Course Summaries: Highlights strengths, weaknesses, and overall progress.
  • Actionable AI Recommendations: Offers study tips, areas to focus on, and resources to help improve performance. By integrating Canvas data with Chrome's built-in AI, the tool delivers a seamless experience that empowers parents, students, and educators to focus on what matters most: learning and improvement.

How We Built It

  1. Canvas API Integration:

    • Utilized the Canvas API to retrieve data such as assignments, grades, and engagement metrics.
    • Filtered and normalized data to handle inconsistencies across different courses and teachers.

  2. Gemini Nano AI Summaries:

    • Leveraged Chrome’s Built-in AI (Gemini Nano) to analyze student performance and generate summaries.
    • Used Gemini Nano to craft personalized study plans, actionable insights, and detailed recommendations.

  3. Chrome Extension Framework:

    • Built the extension using the Chrome Extensions API alongside HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
    • Designed a popup with collapsible sections and tabs to maximize usability while staying within Chrome’s popup size constraints.

  4. Responsive UI:

    • Created a grid-based layout to organize key sections like "Due Now," "Course Summary," and "AI Analysis."
    • Ensured the design was clean, intuitive, and responsive for users.

Challenges We Ran Into

  • Inconsistent Data: Each teacher used Canvas differently, which made it challenging to standardize grades, assignments, and other data.
  • Optimizing Gemini Nano Prompts: Fine-tuning the prompts for Chrome's AI to generate actionable and meaningful insights required multiple iterations.
  • Popup Size Limitations: Designing a detailed and information-rich UI within Chrome’s fixed popup size required creative solutions.

Accomplishments That We're Proud Of

  • Successfully integrated Canvas data with Chrome’s Gemini Nano to deliver real-time, personalized insights.
  • Built a user-friendly Chrome extension that simplifies Canvas data for parents, students, and educators.
  • Delivered actionable recommendations that go beyond showing grades, focusing on real strategies for student improvement.
  • Solved a personal pain point while creating a tool that can help countless others.

What We Learned

  • The Power of Chrome’s AI (Gemini Nano): We learned how to use Chrome’s built-in AI to create actionable insights from raw data, enhancing the user experience.
  • Canvas API Expertise: Gained a deeper understanding of the Canvas API and its potential for creating tailored tools.
  • Designing Under Constraints: Working within the limitations of Chrome’s popup required innovative design choices focused on clarity and simplicity.

What's Next for Canvas Student Insights with AI

  • Advanced Gemini Nano Features: Leverage Chrome’s AI for even smarter insights, like predicting upcoming challenges based on past performance.
  • Expanded Integrations: Add support for other Learning Management Systems like Google Classroom and Blackboard.
  • Enhanced Visualizations: Incorporate charts, graphs, and timelines for an even clearer view of progress.
  • Collaboration Tools: Introduce features to share summaries and insights with teachers and tutors to enhance collaboration.
  • Multi-Platform Support: Expand the extension to Firefox, Edge, and mobile platforms to reach more users.

Canvas Student Insights with AI, powered by Chrome’s Gemini Nano, represents a new frontier in education tools, making it easier than ever to support students in achieving their best.

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