Instructure survey finds 90% of higher-ed students now use AI
Instructure’s July 2026 survey of 1,125 people found 90% of higher-ed students and 68% of K-12 educators use AI, while most lack formal training.
Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels
Ed-tech company Instructure published a survey on July 21, 2026, unveiled at InstructureCon 2026 in Louisville, finding that 90% of higher-education students, 68% of K-12 educators, 61% of higher-ed educators and 73% of parents report using AI, or seeing their children use it, at least occasionally. The survey drew on 1,125 respondents across K-12 and higher education, fielded June 12-15, 2026, according to K-12 Dive’s reporting on the release. The results point to widespread AI in education adoption paired with a persistent gap in formal training for the educators expected to guide students’ use of the tools.
Adoption outpaces training
Despite the high usage figures, Instructure found that 45% of K-12 educators and 41% of higher-ed educators have received no formal AI training, while only 8% of K-12 educators and 11% of higher-ed educators described their training as “comprehensive.” Educator confidence in using AI scored 2.53 out of 5 among K-12 respondents and 2.60 out of 5 among higher-ed respondents, according to the press release.
“AI use is already part of how students learn and educators work. The challenge now is making sure people have the training, judgment and clear expectations to use it well,” said Melissa Loble, chief learning officer at Instructure. “That requires practical support for educators and thoughtful boundaries that keep critical thinking, human judgment and meaningful learning at the center.”
| Group | Share reporting AI use (at least occasionally) |
|---|---|
| Higher-ed students | 90% |
| K-12 educators | 68% |
| Higher-ed educators | 61% |
| Parents (reporting their child’s use) | 73% |
Source: Instructure, “New Instructure Research Shows the Current State of AI in Education,” July 21, 2026.
All four groups named similar concerns: overreliance on AI, loss of critical thinking or deep learning, and academic integrity or plagiarism. Among K-12 educators specifically, 62% cited academic integrity and plagiarism, 61% cited loss of critical thinking, and 59% cited overreliance, per K-12 Dive’s breakdown of the data. Across all audiences, the top two expectations of schools were teaching AI ethics and responsible use, and building AI literacy. About a third of respondents – 33% of educators and 30% of parents – said they favor restricting AI use in schools, while 94% of higher-ed students and 88% of parents cited at least one reason for optimism about AI in education.
The training gap Instructure documents echoes findings Winss Solutions reported in an earlier study on faculty training gaps at universities, and sits alongside the Microsoft 2026 AI in education report, which found comparably high adoption but similar guidance shortfalls among students in the US and Canada.
About Instructure
Instructure is a US-based ed-tech company headquartered in Salt Lake City, best known for the Canvas learning management system used across K-12 and higher-education institutions. The company has published recurring research on classroom technology adoption in recent years, tracking how AI tools move from experimental use into everyday teaching and learning. The July 2026 survey, presented at the company’s InstructureCon 2026 conference, is its latest attempt to quantify that shift and the training gap that has accompanied it.
Sources: Instructure; Higher Ed Dive; K-12 Dive
Featured image: photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels (free Pexels license).
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
