14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is stepping up its support efforts designed to drive innovation in education, with a focus on the role that technology can play to shape the children’s future.
On July 17th, 2011, Anthony Salcito, Vice President, Worldwide Education, Microsoft announced that the Redmond company pledged no less than $15 million for the research and development work needed to create next-generation learning models and to combine them with resources for students and teachers.
Salcito stressed that the new $15M investment will be focused on “three key areas of innovation – increasing engagement, managing information, and supporting educators.”
The software giant R&D efforts will explore concepts involving the integration of gaming into the learning process.
Undoubtedly, the passion and motivation that games can create in children can be leveraged for more than just entertainment purposes. The idea is not new, but Microsoft aims to do much more than just explore this concept as other have done before it.
“With this new investment, Microsoft will support research and development in understanding and creating learning environments that integrate the characteristics of gaming that kids are passionate about,” Salcito added.
“Just imagine…every day a child will fail at a game, and yet keep coming back to try again. But in our classrooms, for most, once a child experiences failure, they shut down. We need to bring the same passion they bring to their digital lives into our classrooms. This investment will help our partners and educators do just that.”
The Redmond company is also readying a solution focused on storing the student’s learning evolution, and more importantly, one that allows its users to enjoy “bragging rights” for their achievements.
In addition, the company will work to make sure that educators get the necessary education to keep up with technology advancements.
“Microsoft will invest in the development of a digital learning archive. This will allow kids the ability to capture their learning artifacts, achievements, and various other types of data in a secure repository, allowing them to gather in one place their lifelong learning record, and share this information with those they choose,” Salcito said.
“(…) Over the next 3 years, Microsoft is committing to train more than 150 thousand educators in the U.S. to elevate their skills so they can benefit from these new technologies. We will also provide access to new professional learning communities, best practices and training to every teacher in the United States through a new Partners in Learning Network.”