Ensightful
Ensightful is an innovative team management platform designed specifically for higher education institutions. It enhances project-based learning by providing tools for improved project planning, task
What is Ensightful?
Ensightful is a team management platform built specifically for higher education. It helps students and instructors organise project-based learning through task management, collaboration tools, and progress tracking. The platform offers students Kanban boards, timeline views, and shared file storage to coordinate group work, while giving instructors templates and real-time visibility into how projects are progressing. It connects directly to Canvas and D2L, so it fits into existing university systems without requiring separate logins or data transfers. The combination of student-focused collaboration tools and instructor-focused oversight makes it useful for courses that rely on group projects, capstones, or team-based assignments.
Key Features
Kanban boards
Visual task management for organising project work by status
AI-powered feedback tools
Automated suggestions and commentary to help students improve work
Timeline views
Gantt-style planning to see project deadlines and dependencies
Shared file repositories
Centralised storage for documents, presentations, and project files
Task templates
Pre-built workflows for instructors to set up common project structures
Real-time progress tracking
Instructors can monitor task completion and team activity
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- Designed specifically for higher education workflows, not generic project management
- Integrates with Canvas and D2L, reducing friction for universities already using these systems
- Combines both student and instructor perspectives in one platform
- Free tier available, making it accessible without institutional budget approval
- AI feedback can reduce instructor workload on routine comments
Limitations
- Limited to higher education use cases; not suitable for corporate or freelance project management
- Effectiveness depends on instructor setup; poorly configured templates may confuse students
- No information available on mobile app availability, which some students expect for team tools
Use Cases
Group projects in undergraduate courses where students need to coordinate tasks and deadlines
Capstone projects that span a semester and require milestone tracking
Collaborative research assignments in graduate programmes
Design or engineering courses requiring iterative feedback and file sharing
Course assignments where instructors want visibility into who contributed what work