As part of our ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 category spotlight series, we are taking a closer look at the shortlisted entries across this year’s program. In its first year, the awards received over 140 entries, reflecting both the scale and pace of change across EdTech.

The shortlist highlights a wide range of approaches to teaching, learning, and skills development, with winners set to be announced on May 11.

Where digital platforms are being tested in higher education

The Best Digital Learning Platform for Higher Education category focuses on platforms delivering structured, scalable, and measurable learning experiences in university settings. This includes systems supporting course delivery, assessment, student engagement, and skills development across disciplines.

Judges are assessing whether platforms go beyond access to demonstrate clear outcomes. This includes how effectively they support student progression, how data or AI is used to inform learning, and whether they improve completion, efficiency, or experience in a sector facing increasing complexity.

Higher education is under pressure to deliver flexible, personalized, and outcome-driven learning at scale. Platforms in this category are expected to show how technology is reshaping teaching models, supporting faculty, and improving student results in real-world environments.

Finalists

Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU Tech Policy Hackathon 2025)

The APRU Tech Policy Hackathon 2025 is a multi-stage digital learning platform immersing students in AI- and data-driven problem-solving for underserved Southeast Asian communities. Unlike conventional hackathons, it delivers a blended learning curriculum across three experiential phases: a competitive application process, a policy brief submission, and a three-day mentor-guided prototype sprint with Google, NUS, NECTEC, and Microsoft.

Drawing 299 applicants from 40 universities across 15 economies, the platform produced 12 implementation-ready prototypes assessed on feasibility, ROI, and scalability. A replicable, equity-driven model proving structured experiential learning delivers measurable, real-world outcomes at regional scale.

Blackboard

Blackboard is redefining what an LMS can do in higher education by combining first-to-market AI innovation, accessibility, analytics, and inclusive design in one cloud-based platform. Blackboard LMS helps institutions improve teaching efficiency, deepen student engagement, and support measurable student success at a time of increasing complexity across the sector.

Features such as AI Design Assistant and AI Conversation reduced faculty workload, strengthened AI literacy, and created more interactive learning experiences. Built through educator co-design and grounded in a trustworthy AI approach, Blackboard stands out for delivering meaningful innovation that is practical, scalable, and directly aligned to institutional goals for quality, equity, and outcomes.

Learning with Experts

Learning with Experts is a digital education platform built to address low completion rates in online learning. While the industry average remains between 15 and 20 percent, the platform reports completion rates above 80 percent. Founded in Oxford in 2015, it delivers structured, cohort-based programs led by subject experts across health, horticulture, and cookery, alongside NHS preventative health delivery.

More than 100,000 learners across 91 countries have used the platform, with over 270,000 lessons delivered. Developed by a small team, it focuses on structured delivery and accountability to improve learner outcomes.

London School of Innovation (LSI)

The London School of Innovation (LSI) is the UK’s first AI-native higher education institution, granted Degree Awarding Powers by the Office for Students in March 2026 following a regulatory process. LSI replaces lectures with 24/7 AI virtual tutors delivering personalized theory, while human professors focus on discussion, problem-solving, and mentorship.

Its proprietary technology includes over 150 integrated AI agents, interactive knowledge graphs, role-play simulations, and real-time formative feedback. The model reconfigures how teaching time is allocated between AI systems and academic staff.

Medly AI

Medly is an AI-powered digital learning platform with three products: Medly Exams, Medly Open, and a Teacher Dashboard. These support exam preparation, university learning, and educator analytics.

The platform delivers personalized learning through AI marking, Socratic tutoring, structured lessons, handwriting recognition, and full-length mock exams. With 300,000 signups and 74.1 percent of 2025 GCSE students improving by at least one grade, Medly combines engagement with measurable academic outcomes.

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