The Quaid-e-Azam Academy for Educational Development (QAED), a leading teacher training institute under Pakistan’s Government of Punjab, is training a massive 368,000 teachers virtually. This shift to online training using Microsoft Teams was driven by the challenges of COVID-19 restrictions.
Previously, QAED relied solely on in-person sessions. Juggling various online platforms initially caused management difficulties and limitations for large-scale training. Recognizing the need for a robust solution, QAED chose Microsoft Teams for its scalability in online education.
To ensure a smooth transition, QAED launched a training program, “The 21st Century Digital Skills,” focusing on Microsoft 365 products with Teams taking center stage. This initiative, in collaboration with Jaffer Business Systems (JBS), equipped 72 internal instructors who then trained other teachers. The goal is to train all 368,000 teachers within six months.
Microsoft Teams offers functionalities specifically designed for educational institutions. The “Classroom” feature mirrors real-life interactions, while seamless integration with other Microsoft 365 applications like OneDrive and Forms allows for a unified workflow with a single login. This simplifies management and eliminates the need for multiple logins.
The cloud-based nature of Teams empowers qualified trainers from remote areas to contribute, improving instruction quality. Online training also allows QAED to conduct multiple sessions simultaneously and reduce costs associated with traditional methods.
QAED’s success with Microsoft Teams has been recognized by the Education Minister of Punjab. The vision is to extend digital learning to nearly 15 million students across the province. With this goal in mind, QAED plans to integrate further Microsoft tools like Power BI for enhanced data analysis.
“Being on this journey with Microsoft has been a wonderful experience,” concludes Muhammad Ali Ammer, Director-General at QAED. “We are still in the process of planning all our training in this virtual world.”
This successful implementation of Microsoft Teams by QAED demonstrates how educational institutions can leverage technology to overcome challenges and create a more efficient and scalable learning environment.
