Microsoft is equipping teachers and students with the tools to learn

By Elly Yates-Roberts on 21 January 2020

Ahead of the Bett Show 2020 opening at the end of January, Microsoft has unveiled new features in Office 365 and other offerings to equip teachers and students with the tools they need to learn.

A new update to PowerPoint, for example, enables schools to present instructional slides and give QR codes so that teachers can follow along from their own device in whichever language they choose.

Microsoft has also made it easier for training content to be shared via its video streaming programme, Stream. Using Flipgrid’s camera, teachers can personalise and share content instantly. Stream’s automatic captions and searchable transcripts are also now available in eight languages and an upcoming feature will enhance sound quality by removing background noise from videos.

“In order for children to reach their full potential, they need teachers who are working at their full potential,” said Chris Rothwell, director of education at Microsoft UK. “Technology can help them achieve that. I work with schools across the UK and see first-hand that teachers love their jobs. These new tools from Microsoft will enable them to continue to share their passion for learning with the next generation.”

Microsoft has also made Live Captions available in OneNote so that students can revisit transcripts of their teacher’s speech.

The firm’s recent Edge browser update also enhances the learning experience for students and teachers as they can change text size, read text aloud and write on PDFs inside the browser.