Why Schools and Colleges should explore Microsoft’s Education Solutions
Microsoft’s Three Education Pillars
The three pillars frame Microsoft’s compelling education proposition to institutions. It summarises the principles that underline an approach to education that is enabling and equitable for all while offering secure and future proof solutions that are:
- Inclusively designed
- Foster wellbeing
- Accelerate learning
Inclusively Designed
Students and teachers using Windows 11 can use a range of accessibility tools built into Word, OneNote, and Microsoft Teams. Features such as translations, and immersive reader, provide tools for students who require support, for example, by changing the appearance of text to optimise appearance for the user. Other support includes a multimedia approach with text, images, and video that meet various learning styles. As collaboration is at the heart of Office 365, there is a foundation for students to work together in meaningful problem solving as part of a 21st-century curriculum.
Foster Well being
Teachers using Microsoft 365 can use applications such as Reflection, to take ‘the pulse’ of how a group of students or individuals feel. This encourages self-review of recent learning and promotes the sharing of confidence in the curriculum and contentment with the wider school or college. Microsoft Teams also supports accessible communication between students and teachers to allow any time support through confidential messaging to foster student motivation. This nurturing is also evident in tools such as Microsoft Minecraft that can engage learning across a range of curriculum contexts.
Accelerate Learning
Student engagement in Microsoft Teams and other applications can be monitored to provide real-time data, and over time give insights into progression and how well students are participating. Data collected through Teams’ assignments and Insights can be pulled into PowerBI dashboards for actionable information, allowing teachers to tailor learning and offer support where needed.
A Unified Experience for Greater Value
- A unified platform of apps and learning tools for collaboration, communication, content creation, and critical thinking.
- Microsoft Teams a touchpoint for students to access materials and communicate with their classmates and instructors.
- Learning tools, built into Teams and other Office apps, make it possible for learners of all ability levels to participate and thrive.
- Microsoft devices built in accessibility tools.
- Use School information systems as the database to seamlessly create digital identities in Azure Active Directory through School Data Sync.
