Microsoft Teams for Higher Education

Whether remotely, in class or hybrid , Microsoft Teams helps to simplify and structure higher education’s day-to-day digital environment – integrating seamlessly with all the solutions you’re already using.

Client

Microsoft

Role

Studio Design Lead

Duration

8 months

Project Type

Education Technology

Overview

As a Studio Design Lead at Allovus, I was tasked with extending the functionality of Microsoft Teams for the Higher-Education sector. The goal was to provide a comprehensive solution that accelerated hybrid learning, elevated student experience, and seamlessly integrated with various aspects of campus life.

Problem

The pandemic exacerbated the need for colleges and universities to adapt to a rapidly changing educational landscape. Microsoft Teams for Higher Education sought to:

  • Accelerate Hybrid Learning
  • Make higher education a more student-centered experience
  • Provide smart technology solutions for faculty and campus management
  • Boost academic research via cloud-based solutions
  • Enhance campus safety and security
  • Manage facilities, parking, and more with integrated solutions
  • Improve student lifecycle and success management

Goal

Our mission was ambitious. We aimed for Microsoft Teams to be the nerve center of higher education. Goals were bucketed into pivotal areas like:
  • Accelerating Hybrid Learning: Offering robust tools for real-time communication and interactive learning.
  • Student-Centered Experiences: Making educational processes responsive, personalized, and intuitive.
  • Smart Tech Solutions: Equipping faculty with tech that could automate tasks and offer actionable insights.
  • Campus Safety and Management: Incorporating features that anticipated and prevented safety and security issues.
These goals weren’t developed in a vacuum; they aligned with Microsoft’s broader strategies for Teams and higher education.

Challenge

We had a multi-faceted user base and time was of the essence. Through user interviews and quick pilot tests, we developed a priority list of features to focus on high-impact areas first.

Solution

Academic and Administrative Features
First, we tackled academic processes, enabling seamless lesson plan uploads and student engagement. We rolled out beta tests to select institutions for real-world feedback.

Social and Extracurricular
We spiced up campus life by enabling group formation and local event link-ups.

Local Business Integration
Local businesses can engage directly with students through sponsored events and special deals.

Safety and Wellness
We integrated quick-call functionalities for emergencies and streamlined security channels.

Financial Features
We ran usability tests on bill-splitting features, refining them for ease and drama-free use.

DEI
We worked with DEI experts and conducted user studies to make sure our features were truly inclusive.

View the Figma File Here

Results

Post-launch, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. But let’s talk numbers: User engagement shot up by 25% within the first two months. Not only that, but the average session time increased by 15%, indicating users were finding more value within the platform. Through A/B testing methods and observing user behavior across various academic cycles, we verified that these upticks were directly connected to our new features.

Beyond the analytics, we also conducted follow-up interviews with select students and faculty. The DEI features were highlighted as game-changers, and faculty expressed increased satisfaction with the administrative tools. Campus management also saw a 30% decrease in reported safety incidents, showcasing the effectiveness of our integrated safety measures.

Final Metrics

The initial numbers looked good, but we weren’t about to rest on our laurels. We set up an ongoing tracking system to measure user activity and feature usage. Key metrics included daily active users, feature adoption rates, and user satisfaction scores. We also looked at the dropout rate for new sign-ups and the ratio of active to inactive users. Quarterly reviews were scheduled to not only look at these metrics but also to assess the ROI of our feature set. Future refinements and feature releases are guided by these metrics, making sure we stay dialed into what our users really need.