{"id":24180,"date":"2020-02-10T09:00:58","date_gmt":"2020-02-10T08:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/industry\/blog\/?p=24180"},"modified":"2020-02-11T10:41:06","modified_gmt":"2020-02-11T09:41:06","slug":"microsoft-teams-exeter-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-gb\/industry\/blog\/education\/2020\/02\/10\/microsoft-teams-exeter-college\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Teams helps Exeter College focus on student learning outcomes"},"content":{"rendered":"
Helen Gunn and Michelle Traynor, are our work experience co-ordinators at Exeter College. They head up the \u2018job shop. Their team of four support our special educational needs (SEN) students with work experience placements. They have seen how embracing a digital approach and using Microsoft Teams have revolutionised the way their team works.<\/p>\n
Over the last year, Helen and Michelle have been on a digital journey. To say it had been massively transformational for them and the wider team, would be an understatement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were 98 percent paper driven. We are now 98 percent paperless. We have completely transformed our working practices, it\u2019s turned everything on its head. Instead of paper forms we now use Microsoft Forms and Teams,\u201d says Michelle. \u201cIt not only saves money on our print budgets and our time but makes everything a little easier. It also simplifies things for students at the same time. It\u2019s a win-win situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The processes that we have put in place as a result of our partnership with Microsoft, has allowed this to happen. For instance, what used to be a 15-minute round trip to the nearest photocopier has become a simple share via message in Teams.<\/p>\n
Filing paperwork by hand has become a collaborative online process with forms, so no need to re-enter information. Every member of the team now has instant access to all files, student records and documentation on support needs at any time, wherever they happen to be.<\/p>\n
For the learners, mock interviews are now done online with a collaborative word document. This opens up the opportunity to use immersive reader for additional support where needed.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s estimated that at least 10 hours per week have been saved per person.<\/p>\n
As Helen was quick to tell me \u201cI\u2019ve gone from being petrified of IT, knowing nothing about it, to being excited by it, in what it can do and how it can help me in my role at Exeter College.\u201d<\/p>\n
Both took part in training sessions run by the Innovations Team at the college. These introduce colleagues to the world of digital and the power of Windows 10, Office 365, and mobile technologies. Both are now recognised as Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Experts. <\/em>They have jumped head-first into the Microsoft Education Community and the digital training opportunities available to them there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Not only has Microsoft Teams given us huge productivity and collaboration gains, it\u2019s also helping our drive to become carbon neutral and more sustainable.<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s the whole business continuity aspect; a colleague being off sick no longer stops the flow of information. Michelle and Helen are not always in the office at the same time. Microsoft Teams has allowed them to work better together wherever they happen to be.<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n
Increased security<\/h2>\n