One of the blog posts by Microsoft mentioned the use of online platforms of Microsoft for encouraging digital learning in developing countries that included Pakistan. Microsoft Teams are being used as the remote learning platform by many schools, colleges, universities and offices during the lockdown. Same is the situation in Pakistan with Asian markets covering 1.5 million of students and teachers only. The platform can be used as a medium of quite similar to facial meetings as one can send images, presentations and talk through high quality videos.
Microsoft has assured an enhanced collaboration to the educators in Pakistan as it is among one of the most used platform in Covid-19. It has been predicted that blend of a conventional and digital learning will be the way forward. The economies might be opening up themselves soon and start accepting their lives with virus but there will still be some parts of society that will ensure safety first. Hence, Pakistan’s educational institutions also need to adopt such practices which ensures safety of students, staff and parents by continuing the educational activities.
This needs a concentrated effort in which policies shall be set up for not only ensuring physical and mental safety but privacy of the data is important too and hence, these areas can be addressed using Microsoft Teams. The meetings are scheduled in shape of a link which is shared among all the participants and they can join it using that link. One of the important areas is controlling the environments in these meetings. Microsoft Teams provides with such options that the teacher can mute and control the attendees by granting permission to join or not. Students during the class can interact with each other in which teacher keeps a record of the same. Other functionalities include the enhancement of video quality by making background as blur.
Microsoft has encouraged enhanced support to all the educational institutions in Pakistan with making all the features available from the word go. Moreover, the costings of their related products are also improved from the end of buyer. Primary aim of Microsoft is to overcome the current challenges and improve learning for students. Technology facilitates in shaping up education as interactive and engaging as long as the digital security is protected for students and staff.
