The world of education is constantly evolving, with new technologies emerging to revolutionise the way we teach, learn, and manage. One such ground breaking innovation is Microsoft Copilot, an artificial intelligence-powered conversational assistant that promises to profoundly impact how educators approach their work.
What is Microsoft Copilot?
Microsoft Copilot is an advanced AI system that uses a vast knowledge base to engage in intelligent dialogue to provide you with tailored assistance. Unlike traditional software tools, Copilot can understand and respond to queries in natural language, making it an incredibly intuitive and user-friendly resource. It is certainly not a rebooted version of ‘Ask Jeeves’ or ‘Clippy’ – Microsoft’s rather annoying little helper from the 1990’s!
UPDATE: Copilot on your phone
Simply download the Copilot mobile app from your respective app store, and you’re set to unlock a world of AI-powered possibilities. From crafting emails with ease to generating creative content on the fly, Copilot can transform your smartphone into an AI assistant. In the example below I used Copilot to quickly draft an email for parents on the importance of wearing uniform (I even pretended to be the principal for a few minutes 🤨). If not happy with the initial response, continue the converstion stating what you would like changed – maybe a difference in tone or style. Even though the outcome may not be perfect it’s a great starting point and avoids the initial dreaded blank page.
The Go-To AI Assistant for Educators?
Copilot’s powerful capabilities are readily available to anyone with a personal Microsoft account. This can immediatley empower educators to use the latest advancements in AI to enhance their teaching practices. It is worth bearing in mind though that a personal MS account means that you won’t have data protected. I would recommend the use of a school or enterprise account if/when available.
For the purpose of this blog I will concentrate on some of the features you can use in Microsoft Copilot AI (Bing Chat Enterprise). Not the integrated with 365 Word, Excel and PowerPoint versions. I’ll hopefully get a chance to give these a run over at some stage in the near future. Copilot AI can be found at https://copilot.microsoft.com/.
How Can Microsoft Copilot Assist Teachers?
It’s all about the prompts!
Prompts are key for Copilot. They help it understand what you need, in order for it to give you the right help. Think of prompting as conversational guidance that helps Copilot with your requests. Prompts make sure you get personalised support in creating the content you’re looking for.
Three things to include in a prompt:
- Clarity: The prompt should be clear and specific about what is being asked or needed. This helps Copilot understand the exact nature of the request.
- Context: Providing context helps Copilot give a more accurate and relevant response. It’s like giving background information that can influence the answer.
- Conciseness: While details are important, prompts should also be concise. This means getting to the point without unnecessary information, which helps Copilot respond more effectively.
Prompting the AI with detail and focus will help you get a much better response each time.
Game Changer
For educators, Copilot could be a game-changer in a number of ways.
Enhancing Lesson Planning:
Copilot can help teachers prepare engaging and informative lessons by providing relevant information, research, and resources on any topic, all through natural conversation. In the example in the video below, I used Copilot to help update a KS3 History Norman Castle scheme to include a Minecraft castle building project. I used a prompt that helped ensure I got a good outcome from the AI.
Prompt:
“Create a KS3 scheme of work for Norman castles – NI Curriculum. Examine reasons for castles, strengths and weakensses of various castle types, and suggest assessment activities and lesson activites, include a Castle building project using Minecraft Education Edition.”
You can also continue the conversation to request differentiated versions and extra resources. The next step, start developing lesson plans for the new scheme that was created. Always take care to read and edit the response that you get. The AI will go a long way to help you get started. It might not get it 100% right or the way you want it first time around.
Facilitating Personalised Learning:
If prompted, the AI can understand individual students’ learning needs and preferences, Copilot can then offer tailored support, explanations, and supplementary materials, promoting more effective and inclusive learning experiences.
In this scenario, I opened Copilot and used the camera on my Surface Pro to capture an image of a page from a worksheet that I felt was a little too wordy and detailed for a group of Y8 pupils. I wanted Copilot to simplify the text and create a few extra learning resources from the document. In the enterprise version you can also attach a worksheet that you have saved as a word doc or pdf (up to 1Mb).
First I had to change the settings on the Surface Pro to use the back camera.
Prompt
“Simplify the text on the works sheet to consider the needs of Y8 SEN pupils NI Curriculum. Then Create 5 Multiple choice questions from the text- each one with an unrealistic answer and the correct answer marked.“
The quick video shows the results – all in seconds!
Within moments I had a much more readable/user friendly text and a handful of multiple choice questions for my class to complete. I then asked the AI to create more learning activities and assessment materials based on another resource I had attached. The ability to speedily create differentiated learning resources for pupils studying the topic is amazing and could really support teachers developing appropriate materials for their students .
Automating Administrative Tasks:
From generating reports to managing schedules and assisting in communicating with parents via email, Copilot can also assist with a wide range of administrative tasks, freeing up valuable time for teachers to focus on teaching. An example I’ve include is a letter created to send to a parent about recent tardiness (now there’s an old fashioned word!) and attendance. I opened an online word doc so Copilot would sit along side, making it easier to copy across. However In Copilot for Word – you will be able to use Copilot from within the word doc (not available in schools yet). I created the prompt below and within seconds had a letter drafted.
Prompt
“You are a KS3 Form teacher of a pupil in NI post primary school. Create a letter to a parent notifying them of their son’s recent poor timekeeping and that his attendance has also slipped recently.”
As you can see, a pretty good attempt – it still needs a little bit of work here and there, but well over 80% of the work completed – 80% time saved!
Promoting Professional Development:
Copilot can serve as a constant companion for professional growth, providing access to the latest research, best practices, and training materials, all delivered in a conversational format. Abilities will include summarising YouTube video content and creating lessons from video content. Also summarising content (e.g. DE docs) and creating resources from PDF’s opened in Edge.
Data Protection
The CoPilot Enterprise version has data protection included. The integration of commercial data protection within Copilot will ensure that the educators can delve into the AI realm without compromising their or their students privacy. See link below for more info.
Summary
As Copilot continues to evolve and integrate more advanced capabilities, its potential to transform the education sector becomes ever more apparent. By embracing this cutting-edge technology, educators can unlock new levels of productivity, personalisation, and insight, ultimately enhancing the learning experience for students and driving success. Exciting times ahead!
Further Information
10. AI – Long Live the Revolution and Resistance is Futile – EdTech4Everyone