{"id":2251,"date":"2024-01-30T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-30T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/education\/blog\/2024\/01\/30\/the-best-bett-yet\/"},"modified":"2024-05-29T16:36:12","modified_gmt":"2024-05-29T23:36:12","slug":"the-best-bett-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/education\/blog\/2024\/01\/the-best-bett-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"The best Bett yet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Bett<\/a> conference has been showcasing innovative edtech solutions since 1985 and shows no sign of slowing. This year\u2019s event attracted over 34,000 attendees from more than 120 countries. The 38th annual Bett show\u2014the largest education technology exhibition in the world\u2014was held January 24-26, 2024, in London, England, and I had the privilege of attending and meeting with many of Microsoft\u2019s customers: everyone from educators, parents, and students to education and technology leaders from across the globe.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Vice President of Education Marketing at Microsoft Paige Johnson talks with Jaime Teevan, Chief Scientist & Technical Fellow at Microsoft at Bett 2024.\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This year we were thrilled to be joined by Jaime Teevan, Chief Scientist & Technical Fellow at Microsoft, to talk about her research on AI in the workplace and discuss her recommendations for the best ways to leverage AI technologies.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that was the perfect kickoff for Bett 2024, because AI\u2014perhaps unsurprisingly\u2014was the talk of the show.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Strike a pose <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Right from the get-go, visitors to the Microsoft stand on the show floor were captivated by Microsoft Designer and the power to use AI to build their own avatars.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bett 2024 attendee using Microsoft Designer to build their own avatar.\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For those not able to attend in person, visit aka.ms\/SeeYourselfinAI<\/a> to try out the prompt for yourself! \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Examples of avatars that can be created with the Bett 2024 See Yourself in AI prompt in Microsoft Designer. \u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Keynote to success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At this year\u2019s Bett there were SO many ways to be inspired by Microsoft! Engaging product demos? Check. Expert-led sessions? Also check. The latest on AI in our Microsoft Learn Live Classroom? You got it!  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I mentioned earlier, kicking things off for Microsoft was Jaime Teevan, with her Thrive with AI: Lead like a scientist<\/em> keynote. She provided her expert perspective around AI and the fundamental shifts it will bring to learning.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Citing the LinkedIn Future of Work Report<\/a>, Jaime shared that\u2014though more than half of a teacher\u2019s job involves specialized skills that need to be performed by humans\u2014nearly half of teacher skills support tasks where AI could enable greater productivity (such as lesson planning and curriculum development). What everyone wants to know is: can AI really help with these challenges? Will it transform work and how?  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early research with Microsoft Copilot<\/a> says yes<\/em>, with 72% of initial users agreeing that Microsoft Copilot helped them spend less mental effort on mundane or repetitive tasks, 68% saying it improved the quality of their work, and 77% saying they don\u2019t want to give it up! I want you all to imagine, what could you do with that time back? How might this allow for more focus on what matters most, like spending time with your students?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jaime Teevan, Chief Scientist & Technical Fellow at Microsoft, gives her keynote at Bett 2024.\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jaime cited an important new study\u2014Math Education with Large Language Models: Peril or Promise?<\/a>\u2014that revealed the learning benefits of LLMs (Large Language Models).  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In one of the first randomized experiments on LLMs and education, Microsoft Research and Harsh Kumar from the University of Toronto found that LLM-based explanations positively impacted learning relative to seeing only correct answers. This is largely due to the intention they built this experiment around and the design choices they made, to have LLMs serve as a coach, to act as tutors that don\u2019t just provide answers, but are specifically pre-prompted with customized instructions. And what is so exciting about all of this is that we already have incredible tools today that will only be further enhanced by generative AI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Achieving more with Microsoft Education <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Joe Brazier, Senior Business Strategy Manager, Microsoft presenting during the Microsoft Copilot: Your AI assistant for education session at Bett 2024.\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some other exciting Microsoft Education announcements at Bett included:   <\/p>\n\n\n\n