Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. Since then, it has become one of the largest and most influential technology companies in the world, known for its software products, including the Windows operating system, the Microsoft Office suite, and various cloud services. The company’s first product was Altair BASIC, a programming language for the Altair 8800 microcomputer. In 1980, Microsoft signed a contract with IBM to develop an operating system for their future personal computer (PC). This led to the creation of the MS-DOS operating system.
After another five years, Microsoft released Windows 1.0, the first version of its operating system with a graphical user interface, which gained popularity and became the dominant operating system for personal computers, leading to Microsoft’s rapid growth.
In 1990, Microsoft released Microsoft Office, a suite of productivity programs that included Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. All of these programs have become extremely popular and remain a widely used office suite today. It is hardly possible to find at least one organization that would not be a user of these programs.
In the mid-1990s, Microsoft recognized the importance of the Internet and developed Internet Explorer as their web browser. In 2010, Microsoft introduced Windows 7 to positive reviews and widespread adoption [Computer Hope, 2021]. In 2015, Microsoft released Windows 10 to unify its operating systems across devices. Today, the latest version of Windows 11 is already being promoted, which is considered promising due to increased stability and security.
Microsoft has focused on expanding its software and services portfolio. In 2013, Microsoft launched Azure, a cloud computing platform that has become one of the leading cloud service providers. Azure provides a wide range of cloud services and allows organizations to create, deploy, and manage applications and services through data centers managed by Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft Azure, n.d.). Microsoft also actively develops and integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies into its products and services. They have various initiatives in this area, including the Azure AI platform, which gives developers the tools and services to build applications on AI-based [Azure, 2023].
Keeping in mind the enormous social role of educational institutions, one should agree that education today can be considered a market sphere in a certain sense since it involves the exchange of goods and services for value. Commercialization, the impact of globalization on education systems, and the adoption of market practices by educational institutions – these trends in the development of modern education are becoming increasingly relevant. The processes of providing and consuming education require the use of new technologies, products, and services that were previously inaccessible in a global scale for higher education institutions.
In this regard, Microsoft, having found an acceptable space for itself in the educational sphere, equalizes the opportunities of leading and provincial higher education organizations. It actively implements various programs and resources for students, teachers, and educational institutions of all levels and all categories. Microsoft Education offers a range of educational tools and resources. They also provide free educational resources such as Microsoft Imagine Academy, Microsoft Learning Tools, Microsoft Math Solver, and more [Microsoft Education, 2023]. Microsoft has specific policies and strategies aimed at education from elementary school to the higher university level. In partnership with educational institutions: Microsoft works with universities, colleges, and schools around the world to help them integrate technology into the educational process. The company provides training and consulting services to help educational institutions use their technology effectively.
Microsoft offers solutions and tools such as Microsoft 365 Education, Office 365 Education, Teams for Education, and Minecraft: Education Edition. They are designed to facilitate collaboration, communication, and learning in educational settings. Microsoft Imagine Academy helps students develop the skills they need to succeed in their IT careers. The Microsoft Educator Center offers free courses and online learning for educators who want to effectively use Microsoft technologies in their learning process. They offer various training materials, courses on using Microsoft tools, as well as certification for teachers [Microsoft Educator Center, 2023].
The company’s activities include several charitable educational projects. For example, the Microsoft Imagine Cup is a global student competition focused on developing innovative projects and solutions using Microsoft technologies that aims to support young talented developers and allow them to showcase their skills and ideas [Microsoft Imagine Cup, 2023]. The corporation also provides grants and funding for educational organizations and projects [Microsoft Philanthropies, 2016].
The corporation showed itself most clearly during the COVID-19 pandemic when all educational systems around the world needed distance learning using virtual learning platforms [Hodges et al., 2020]. Education systems have had to change radically and emphasize collaborative learning, real-time interaction and discussion between teachers and students, online lectures (live and recorded) accessible via mobile devices, and immediate feedback [Dhawan, 2020]. Under these conditions, educational institutions began to use technologies and effective tools for collaboration, such as Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. The experts concluded that Microsoft Teams, being one of the best, promotes synchronous and asynchronous communication, which is critical for distance learning [Abdullah et al., 2021]. The idea of integrating Microsoft Teams for learning is getting a lot of attention as it has over 115 million daily active users [Microsoft 365, 2020].
The peculiarity of the use of new technologies in education is that both students and teachers must, firstly, be motivated to use technology by introducing it into their practice, then they must understand and evaluate its functionality and effectiveness [Lindeman et al., 2021]. Finally, they should make technology a part of their daily lives and an indispensable part of the learning process for collaboration and feedback. Research data shows that Microsoft Teams helps create this understanding and culture of mutual learning.
The mission of Microsoft, as the corporation itself formulates it, is to enable every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. This mission is focused on people and the involvement of their communities in different cultures and experiences. That’s why Microsoft is partnering with educational systems and leaders to help improve our world through education. Studies show that 68% of students do not understand what skills are needed to start their careers, and 80% of employers believe that graduates do not have all the skills necessary for their work [Microsoft Education Blog, 2022]. Identifying the specific digital skills that will be most in demand in the future can be difficult, and this is one of the reasons many employers put non-technical skills at the top of their list. These skills, such as analytical thinking, creativity and flexibility, communication, and content creation, are skills that educational systems can focus on today, regardless of the direction of study. These skills are maintained as students use Microsoft programs.
Today we can talk about the formation of a new type of skill – consumer digital capabilities are skills that allow students to use existing digital tools and systems, such as Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Office 365. For students, this is vital to ensure their productivity and support for future learning.
The next level of mastery is productive or creative, innovative digital capabilities—skills that enable learners to use tools such as the cloud, data, and AI to create solutions and processes for themselves and others, including learning and developing AI, analyzing and understanding data, and databases or the creation of digital materials through coding. All these skills are becoming more and more important in every type of job.
Communication skills, including public speaking, are essential for career and job readiness. To become strong communicators, students must have plenty of opportunities to practice while receiving meaningful feedback. Allowing students to decide what they want to learn and practice, and knowing what to do to achieve their goals, helps develop their freedom of action. Access to automated tools such as Speaker Coach offers an environment that allows learners to develop freedom of action. Automated speaking coaches use AI technology to help students take charge of their learning, allowing them to set goals and reduce anxiety. Microsoft Speaker Coach, built into PowerPoint, provides a report with detailed statistics and suggestions to improve your presentation. Students can rehearse their presentations and receive real-time feedback. This real-time analytics allows students to reflect on themselves and adjust their speaking skills while building confidence [Resource Center, 2023].
Thus, these technologies help not only the technical but also the personal development of a young person. The emphasis on student self-government is an integral part of the process. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development suggests that students who demonstrate agency “play an active role in deciding what and how they will learn, they tend to be more motivated to learn and are more likely to set their learning goals” [OECD, n.d.]. In practice, student activities can take place at the community level through solving academic and social problems, or individually, with students making decisions in the classroom, such as how to demonstrate mastery of a concept, or how and when to use tools or fixtures. Essentially, students begin their progression to sustainable autonomy, develop voice and choice, ownership and autonomy of their learning. They gradually become aware of their unique needs, strengths, and preferences. Traditionally, teachers have had most of the power in the classroom: they decide what to teach, what resources will be used, and how the content or length of each section will be judged. Teachers who create engaging high-tech learning environments democratize learning and transfer power or agency to their students. This is how a critically thinking, open-minded, independent person is brought up.
Microsoft works with education systems and leaders around the world to ensure that students are as prepared as possible. The company strives to be a reliable and trusted partner with versatile and modern learning paths, digital products, solutions, and resources that are customizable for each system and any level. Education improves the world through skills development that opens doors to everyone’s careers with Microsoft Learn. The quality of teaching is more important than any curriculum or policy of an educational institution. The effectiveness of teachers is the most important factor influencing student outcomes.
If a teacher or school leader is new to Microsoft’s teaching and learning tools, they can take a learning path to get started. It provides guidelines and some basic information for setting up a blended or hybrid learning environment and is the first step toward professional development in this area [Microsoft Educator, 2023].
Another focus of Microsoft programming is academic research, which is at the heart of every leading institution of higher education. New research paradigms embracing cloud computing enable the research community to accelerate breakthroughs by enabling “researchers to be researchers”. All researchers are provided with the computing resources they need when they need them. The seamless and secure exchange of research between institutions enables meaningful collaboration with business leaders and government agencies, providing the university with added expertise, resources, and opportunities. Cloud resources deployed in simple and convenient function templates are reproducible and scalable, reducing overhead and increasing the time available for real research. The use of high-performance computing (HPC), machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI) at scale means more researchers in more fields can accelerate the pace of research and reduce the time to publication.
In conclusion it could be said that these examples of Microsoft’s education programs and strategies show that the company continues to work actively to develop innovative solutions and policies to improve education and promote its accessibility. There is no doubt that technology is the most effective modern way to support students, staff, and faculty. It provides new learning opportunities, enhances professional development, and improves communication.
References:
Abdullah, Almodaires, Faisal, Almutairi and Tareq, Almsaud (2021). Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of Microsoft teams for remote learning. international education Studies, 14 (9), pp. 1-14.
Azure (2023). Responsible AI with Azure. Retrieved from https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/solutions/ai/responsible-ai-with-azure/#overview. Accessed on 20.06.2023.
Computer Hope (2021). A History of Microsoft’s Windows operating system. Retrieved from https://www.computerhope.com/history/windows.htm. Accessed on 18.06.2023.
Dhawan, Shivangi (2020). Online learning: A panacea in the time of COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Educational Technology Systems. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239520934018. Accessed on 18.06.2023.
Hodges, Charles, Moore, Stephanie, Lockee, Barb, Trust, Torrey and Bond, Aaron (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. educause review (online). Retrieved from https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning. Accessed on 18.06.2023.
Lindeman, Sofie, Svensson, Maria and Enochsson, Ann-Brit (2021). Digitalization in early childhood education: A domestication theoretical perspective on teachers’ experiences. Education and Information Technologies, 26, pp. 4879–4903.
Microsoft 365 (2020). A new way to work and learn in a new digital age. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2020/10/28/microsoft-teams-reaches-115-million-dau-plus-a-new-daily-collaboration-minutes-metric-for-microsoft-365/. Accessed on 09.06.2023.
Microsoft Azure (2023). Teaching, interaction, and research. Retrieved from https://azure.microsoft.com/. Accessed on 09.06.2023.
Microsoft Education (2023). Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/education. Accessed on 09.06.2023.
Microsoft Education Blog (2022). How Microsoft is partnering with education institutions to help improve the future of work. Retrieved from https://educationblog.microsoft.com/en-us/2022/11/how-microsoft-is-partnering-with-education-institutions-to-help-improve-the-future-of-work. Accessed on 18.06.2023.
Microsoft Educator (2023). Education. Retrieved from https://learn.microsoft.com/ru-ru/training/paths/microsoft-educator-academy/. Accessed on 09.06.2023.
Microsoft Educator Center (2023). Retrieved from https://education.microsoft.com/. Accessed on 10.06.2023.
Microsoft Imagine Cup (2023). Retrieved from https://imaginecup.microsoft.com/. Accessed on 10.06.2023.
Microsoft Philanthropies (2016). Microsoft to donate $1 billion in software to nonprofits. Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/ru-ru/philanthropies). Accessed on 10.06.2023.
Resource Center (2023). Retrieved from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/school-leaders/resource-center?category=Research+%26+Guides. Accessed on 18.06.2023.
OECD Future of Educational Skills 2030 (n.d.). Student Agency for 2030. https://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/teaching-and-learning/learning/student-agency/in_brief_Student_Agency.pdf. Accessed on 20.06.2023.
Note: The views expressed in this blog are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the Institute’s editorial policy.