In the traditional university model, student success is often a lagging indicator—measured by graduation rates years after the learning happened. But in 2026, the mandate has shifted. For the hundreds of thousands of learners balancing careers, caregiving, and economic uncertainty, success must be a real-time, high-fidelity signal.
How do we achieve this at scale? We need an open, interoperable ecosystem where institutions can build, share, and iterate together—one that integrates open, explainable AI, modular assessments, and deep, actionable analytics.
Join us on Thursday, May 21, at the Open edX Conference 2026 for a plenary session with university leaders delivering success at high scale: “Expanding the Human Possibility Frontier: Student Learning and Success Amplified at Scale.”
A Blueprint for a Learner-First Future
This session moves beyond using AI to polish administrative workflows. Instead, we will examine how AI can fundamentally reimagine the feedback loop between learner, instructor, and institution. From AI-driven Socratic tutors that guide students through complex problems to open-source analytics that surface disengagement before it becomes a dropout risk, our panel will outline the blueprint for a learner-first future.
Meet the Visionaries
We are honored to host a panel of leaders who are driving innovation at the world’s most forward-thinking institutions:
- Ajita Talwalker Menon, President, Calbright College
- Bill Gaudelli, Inaugural Dean for the Georgia Tech College of Lifetime Learning
- Courtney Hills McBeth, Chief Academic Officer and Provost, Western Governors University
- Kate Smith, President, Rio Salado College
- Stephanie Khurana, CEO, Axim Collaborative
Why You Should Attend
Whether you are an educator, technologist, or institutional leader, this panel will address the critical questions facing our field today:
- The AI Assessment Shift: Moving from high-stakes exams to high-support, real-time simulations.
- The “Human-in-the-Loop” Model: How next-gen tools empower mentors rather than replacing them.
- Responsible Innovation: Why open source is the necessary foundation for equitable student support.
Don’t miss this opportunity to help define the next generation of student success.
