Canva Unveils Innovative AI Tools to Enhance Education

Canva is making significant strides in the world of educational technology by enhancing its AI capabilities. Shortly after launching its AI-powered Magic Studio, the Australian startup has turned its attention to the education sector, aiming to support teachers and students with new AI tools.

Last week, Canva introduced “Classroom Magic,” a tailor-made version of Magic Studio designed specifically for educational use. This new feature is nested within the existing Canva for Education platform, which has been in operation since 2019 and currently serves 50 million students and teachers worldwide. According to Jason Wilmot, Canva’s Head of Education, the AI tools aim to help educators save time, create engaging content, and foster creativity among students.

Canva for Education, including the Classroom Magic features, is available at no cost to K-12 students, teachers, and school districts. Although a paid plan exists for universities, specific pricing details have not been disclosed.

With over 600,000 schools using Canva for Education, the Classroom Magic update represents a significant commitment to integrating AI in classrooms globally.

New AI Features for Enhanced Learning

The Classroom Magic suite includes several AI-powered features:

- Magic Write: This generative AI tool allows users to perform quick actions like summarizing or expanding text, rewriting, and adjusting tone from a convenient dropdown menu. Canva emphasizes that this feature can help students enhance their writing skills through carefully designed prompts.

- Magic Animate: Users can transform static text into dynamic content with automatic transitions for presentations.

- Magic Grab: This tool identifies and isolates elements within images—such as text or diagrams—allowing users to easily manipulate them on their projects.

- Magic Switch: Designed for efficiency, this feature enables users to convert documents into presentations and vice versa with one click, making it easier to start new projects.

To enhance accessibility, Classroom Magic also offers automated “alt text” suggestions, which assist visually and hearing-impaired users by providing descriptive text for images.

Addressing Safety and Content Concerns

Recognizing the skepticism surrounding AI in education, Canva is implementing stringent safety measures through its Canva Shield initiative. This program aims to ensure that AI interactions are safe for classroom environments. The Shield includes:

- Advanced Educator Controls: Administrators can customize access to AI tools based on their comfort level.

- Automatic Reviews: Advanced technology reviews input prompts to prevent inappropriate content generation.

- Blocked Terms: More than 10,000 words are restricted to ensure safe use in educational settings.

- Reporting Options: Users can report and block unwanted content or terms.

Understanding Educators’ Needs for AI

As Canva rolls out Classroom Magic, an essential question arises: How valuable will these AI tools be to teachers and students? A recent survey of 1,000 U.S. teachers revealed that while 78% are enthusiastic about AI's potential in the classroom, 93% feel unprepared to implement these technologies effectively.

Teachers highlighted several benefits of AI, including increased student productivity (60%), enhanced creativity (59%), reduced administrative tasks (56%), and personalized learning support (67%). The survey also indicated a strong reliance on technology, with 92% of teachers regularly using various apps and services.

While Wilmot clarifies that Canva's focus is not on teaching AI engineering but on showcasing AI's educational benefits, he remains committed to providing a safe environment for learning. Canva also boasts over 5,000 customizable lesson plans to help educators maximize the Classroom Magic experience.

In conclusion, Canva’s Classroom Magic looks to revolutionize classroom engagement and efficiency through innovative AI tools designed specifically for the educational landscape.