In December 2023, Microsoft announced it would expand access to its generative AI assistant Copilot, with commercial data protection, to educators and students aged 18 and above. Today, the company announced even more AI-driven services and features for students and teachers that are either available now or will be in the near future.
In a press release, Microsoft stated that its Loop collaborative app and service will become available for Microsoft 365 A3 and A5 plans, sometime in early March 2024.
Microsoft is also adding some new features to the previously launched Reaching Coach app and service. As the name suggests, it helps students improve their reading skills with personalized exercises.
Microsoft is launching a new AI-based version of Reaching Coach in a public preview today. Here"s what parents and students can expect:
Learners select the story’s protagonist, setting, and are provided with choices that alter the plot of the story as they read. Reading Coach combines these inputs with the learner’s selected reading level, and over time, words they mispronounce to dynamically create personalized stories that keep students engaged and in the driver seat. Students stay engaged with the power to pick a path of a story while they progress through the chapters.
Reading Coach is available now in its public preview form to anyone with a Microsoft account at no cost, and it can be accessed either on the web or via a Windows app.
Later in 2024, Microsoft plans to make some new features generally available to Microsoft Teams for Education members. One is Classwork, which is designed to help educators organize their assignments for students, along with other aspects of their classroom plans. AI features will be available to help teachers "easily emphasize key content, simplify, or add more detail, learning objectives, and even emojis."
Another tool that will become generally available soon is Microsoft Reflect. This is a wellness app designed so students can express themselves in a safe way, with input from teachers and families.