Microsoft Education has recently introduced a new category of learning tools known as Learning Accelerators. These tools are aimed at addressing the challenges faced by teachers in personalizing learning for each student, as well as in measuring the progress and development of each student. With the new learning accelerators, teachers can now provide real-time coaching, personalize assignments and feedback, and analyze the progress of individual students and the entire class.
Reading Coach and Reading Progress, which are part of the Learning Accelerators, are designed to help improve literacy and critical thinking skills in students. The tools include fluency and comprehension updates, which will be available later this year. Reading Coach will soon be integrated into Immersive Reader across Microsoft 365 apps, providing students with opportunities for reading fluency practice and real-time feedback. Additionally, teachers can now assign comprehension questions to their students through Reading Progress.
Search Coach and Search Progress are designed to help students build their information literacy skills and critical thinking skills in the classroom. The tools provide real-time coaching to students on forming effective queries, identifying reliable sources, and reviewing information found in a safe, ad-free online environment. Teachers also have access to insights on how students are using search and developing their information literacy skills.
Search Coach, now available in Microsoft Teams, provides real-time coaching to students on forming effective queries, as well as customizable filters that teachers can easily set for personalized lessons. The tool supports teachers in personalizing instruction for students of all ages and skill levels and provides an accessible, secure, and supportive learning experience.
Search Progress, on the other hand, allows teachers to guide student learning and track progress by creating, reviewing, and analyzing practice assignments for individual students, small groups, and entire classrooms. The tool provides students with personalized assignments, and teachers with insights into the progress and trends of the students.
Speaker Coach and Speaker Progress are tools aimed at developing confident speakers and presenters. Speaker Coach is integrated into Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, and LinkedIn, while Speaker Progress will be available in Microsoft Teams Assignments. These tools allow students to practice independently, receive real-time coaching, and improve their speaking and presentation skills.
Many students have reported that they do not receive adequate feedback on their speaking or presentation skills. Speaker Coach solves this problem by evaluating and providing real-time feedback on aspects such as student pacing and pitch, use of filler words, inclusiveness, and more. Speaker Coach helps students to practice in private, providing tips on developing a persuasive presentation and building their confidence, as well as reducing presentation anxiety and enhancing critical thinking skills.
Speaker Progress is a new tool that saves teachers time by automating the creation, review, and analysis of speaking and presentation assignments. Teachers and students can view a summary of key presentation skills and areas for improvement, and teachers can review student recordings, track progress, and identify student needs more efficiently through Education Insights.
Speaker Coach and Speaker Progress are currently available in English, and they will be available in preview in Teams for Education during the 2023-2024 school
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the pandemic has led to a decline in math achievement across every percentile, even among high-performing students. To help students improve their math literacy and fluency, Microsoft has developed Math Coach and Math Progress. These tools provide students with additional practice, real-time feedback, and helpful tips, as well as streamlining the review process for teachers.
One of the most challenging aspects of math is understanding the steps required to solve a problem. Math Coach addresses this issue by breaking down each part of a problem with detailed text explanations for each step and operation, helping students to think more critically and understand how and why they arrived at a solution. Math Progress assists teachers in generating practice questions, identifying which concepts challenged students, and providing feedback and personalized support more efficiently.
Math Coach and Math Progress work together to provide students with additional practice problems based on teacher input and insights gathered from their previous Math Progress assignments. Schools can leverage math fluency data to track progress, identify trends, and improve outcomes.
Both Math Coach and Math Progress will be available in preview within Microsoft Teams for Education during the 2023-2024 school year.
The new Learning Accelerators from Microsoft Education provide teachers with tools that help support and streamline the creation, review, and analysis of student progress and development across academic subjects. The tools are designed to help schools unlock the full potential of every student and build stronger literacy and critical thinking skills in a secure and inclusive environment. With the new updates and tools included in the Learning Accelerators, Microsoft is paving the way for a better future for students and teachers alike.
Updates to Education Insights Premium and Windows 11
Education Insights Premium is now included in all versions of Microsoft 365 Education including our no-cost Office 365 A1 license. Education Insights Premium enables education leaders to monitor student academic progress and wellbeing across their organization to help improve learning outcomes with actionable insights. Built with student safety, privacy, and security in mind, it helps schools support students while maintaining compliance with industry standards.
Also, there are some updates coming to Windows 11. Students can sign in quickly and easily to their devices with third-party identity providers, such as Clever and Google, through the simple sign-in feature expected to be available later this month for Windows 11 Pro Education.
