Implementation of an Alexa Skill as a voice virtual assistant for validating course structure in Canvas LMS

Abstract

This study proposes a digital solution in the form of a voice-activated virtual assistant for tracking the structure of educational materials published on an e-learning platform, specifically Canvas LMS. This solution utilizes artificial intelligence through the Alexa Echo Dot device for voice processing, aiming to enhance accessibility and efficiency, especially for instructors.

The assistant will facilitate tracking and monitoring of course development. This feature will streamline tasks for the various roles associated with an educational platform, primarily instructors and instructional design validators. The assistant enables users to ask specific questions about the educational resources published in courses on the Canvas LMS platform in accordance with the ADDA educational methodology implemented at Tecsup. This methodology is based on a class session structured around three fundamental phases: Before, During, and After [7].

The research methodology comprised two phases. The first phase employed the "Waterfall" software development methodology. The second phase involved monitoring the application's usage through surveys of participating teachers regarding their perception of the solution.

The project included a hypothesis testing phase, in which a survey was administered to a sample of 11 teachers from the Digital Technology Department at Tecsup during the 2025-2 semester. The results showed that 45.45% of the teachers considered that the voice assistant facilitated the review of the ADDA methodology in their courses, and 45.45% affirmed that the assistant helped them reduce the time spent on applying said methodology.

The main findings revealed the teachers' interest in using the assistant as a support tool in their work, as well as their enthusiasm for continuing to test it. This study was conducted during the 2025-1 and 2025-2 semesters at the Tecsup Higher Education Institute (Lima).

The study concludes that the use of programming languages, complemented by artificial intelligence and voice recognition tools, contributes to the continuous improvement of material published on educational platforms.