E-LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: MICROSOFT LEARNING
IN MICROSOFT IT ACADEMY PROGRAM
Viliam Fedák
Microsoft IT Academy, elfa, s.r.o., Letná 9, Košice
+421-55-6253839 (phone), +421-55-6253200 (fax), msita@elfa.sk, www.microsoftitacademy.sk
6th
Int. Conference on
Emerging e-learning
Technologies
and Applications
Abstract. The paper presents Microsoft IT Academy program as an academic initiative which
provides tools schools need to deliver the highest quality IT training. The second part of the paper
introduces Microsoft e-learning as a part of rich portfolio of program benefits available for
participating schools. Presented e-learning system represents modern learning management system
with rich multimedia content.
Keywords: education; eLearning; learning management system; multimedia; certification;
information and communication technology; academic program; Microsoft
The High Tatras,
Slovakia
September 11-13, 2008
1. INTRODUCTION
Education has always been expected to be at least one step
ahead of a trend. Learning is what shapes people and
society to be ready for future. Critical point of any
educational activity is practical implementation or usage
of activity’s output. Knowledge and skills which a student
acquires must be in line with what student’s future work
and/or life practically needs. The connection and relation
between education and practice underlines urgent need
for complex academic programs with involvement
of academic as well as business sector.
Fig. 1. Bridge between Education and Work
2. MICROSOFT IT ACADEMY PROGRAM
Program touches all groups of standard educational process:
The Microsoft IT Academy is globally recognized academic
solution which enables academic learning institutions to
connect the world of education to the world of work by
enabling teachers and students to acquire new technology
skills in an academic setting. Schools and institutions
participating in the program benefit from world-class
Microsoft curriculum and cutting-edge software tools to
experience real-world challenges in the classroom
environment.
Bridge between Education and Work
Program is a bridge between education and work. Schools
and educational institutions desperately search for best
students, qualified teachers and after all also for a position
in their community. Students require from their school and
teacher real-world training, cutting-edge skills and widely
recognized credentials. On the other side of equation there
are needs of employers and companies which require skilled
and ready-for-job employees. IT skills are considered to be
inseparable part of hard skills which young people are
expected to posses after completing state educational
system and while entering job market. The position
of Microsoft IT Academy program is between the needs
of schools, students and work (companies) – see Fig. 1.
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SCHOOL
•Enhances quality of educational process
•Enhances quality of its faculty
•Improves its software equipment
•Increases its attractiveness in the community
INSTRUCTOR
•Actively enhances his qualification
•Certificates his ICT skills
•Receives and access to broad range of resources
for modern educational process
STUDENT
EMPLOYER
COMMUNITY
The program consists of the following parts (see Fig. 3):
 Partnership with Microsoft gives the IT academies
an access to up-to-date technologies and opportunities
for involvement in Microsoft’s initiatives and projects.
 Official curricula are the basic part of the program. The
IT Academy has access to a broad range of global and
local Microsoft curricula and e-learning content. Global
curricula are adapted from the complex structure of
Microsoft Learning courses. Within the Microsoft IT
Academy program the courses are provided as Microsoft
Official Academic Courses (MOAC). Local curricula
have been developed within the local academic projects
ran in Slovakia within the recent years (projects like
Learn More or 40 UP). E-learning content accessible
through program will be described further.
 IT academy can use wide portfolio of program benefits
which are focusing on complete support of instructor
and student in use of modern ICT. Rich e-learning
content, training and certification opportunities are the
most attractive benefits. Flexible structure of program
benefits enables IT academy to use the benefits
according its needs and requirements.
•Prepares for further ICT education
•Prepares for desired position in ICT industry
•Certificates his ICT skills
•Enhances possibilities for his success in the labor
market
•Gets ready-for-job hires (highly skilled and
qualified)
•Increase its productivity
•Enhances its image
•Increase effectiveness of investments in
internal education of its employees
•Increases the level of digital literacy
•Gains modern ICT people
•Enhances its attractiveness for possible
investors and new companies
•Supports inclusion of marginal groups
Fig. 2. Benefit Groups
The program enables participating institutions to:
 Offer world-class technology curriculum to help
students acquire cutting-edge IT skills,
 Provide rich online resources for anytime, anywhere
learning and collaboration,
 Link academic learning to real-world job skills to help
students graduate with the IT skills they need to succeed
in today’s job market,
 Create a skilled workforce for employers so that
applicants with the right technology education and skills
are available in the workforce,
 Connect students and teachers to Microsoft for
continued engagement for lifelong personal and
professional technology skills development.
Furthermore, program enables participating students and
teachers acquire skills and knowledge on level
of internationally recognized Microsoft certifications, like
Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Microsoft Office
Specialist (MOS) and Microsoft Application Specialist
(MCAS). Within the program students and teachers can
visit courses directly linked with certification and also take
certification exams.
Fig. 3. Program Parts
Program Parts
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Program is membership-based with one-year membership.
School can register for membership anytime during the
year. Program is available at two levels, depending on needs
and level of registering institution:
 The Advanced level provides benefits for institutions
that teach Microsoft Certification based IT professional
and developer courses. This level is recommended
mostly for secondary technical schools and universities.
 The Essential level provides benefits for institutions
that teach Microsoft Office courses. This level is
obviously recommended for basic and general secondary
schools.
Program Implementation in Slovakia
Microsoft IT Academy program in Slovakia has been
supported within the initiative Microsoft Partners in
Learning (PiL). PiL was introduced in Slovakia in January
2004 when the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was
signed between Microsoft and Ministry of Education SR.
Thanks to MoU Microsoft is able to support the
implementation of modern ICT in academic sector and
further informatization of Slovak schools (2).
During the recent 4 years the Microsoft IT Academy
program has gained great success with more than 200
Slovak basic and high schools participating as program
members. Program implementation was also widely
supported by Ministry of Education through its initiatives
like Infovek or Open School. Annually there are almost 100
schools involved in the program. Most of the program
members are basic schools (52% of Y2008 members).
Program is starting to attract also universities and their
faculties. First three faculties registered for program in
Y2007.
Program Benefits
The range of program benefits depends on membership
level of institution. Basically, IT academies have the
following benefit opportunities within the Microsoft IT
Academy program (1):
 Microsoft E-learning portfolio: The extensive elearning portfolio provides rich multimedia courses that
include simulations, games, videos, and interactive text
to help students master skills and provide instructors
with ongoing professional development opportunities.
The portfolio provides courses from all technology
level: from desktop application, operating systems,
server systems, databases and developing tool.
 Instructor e-learning course management tool:
Instructors directly manage student access to e-learning
courses by providing student-level or class-level access
codes. Instructors can drop and add students, create
access codes, and deliver group e-mail messages.
 Academic textbooks: the Microsoft Official Academic
Course (MOAC) series provide the perfect curriculum
for semester- and quarter- based courses. Supplements
include an instructor resource center, teaching notes,
virtual labs, assessments, and sample syllabi.
 Software licenses, MSDNAA Microsoft TechNet:
through program benefits IT academies can get access to
all currently available Microsoft software which can be
used for educational purpose. This enables IT academies
to be in touch with latest software versions.
 Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor (MMI),
Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT): teachers from IT
academies can participate in professional instructors
programs which network together premier technical and
instructional experts in Microsoft professional products,
technologies.
Since Y2007 program in Slovakia has brought new
opportunities for participating schools: thanks to initiatives
like Microsoft Partners in Learning and Microsoft
Unlimited Potential, Slovak IT academies have become true
IT educational centers for their communities. Involved IT
academies have been offering various IT trainings for:
 Teachers (through project Learn More): more than
7000 teachers were trained in courses focusing on new
ICT technologies and their implementation in
educational process.
 40+ people (project 40UP): people older than 40 years
have an opportunity to take basic IT training in order to
enhance and support their access to modern ICT.
 Academic testing centers: selected IT academies run in
their school official testing center for desktop
certifications MOS and MCAS. Thanks to this,
academies can include industrial certification as a part of
their study programs. Students finishing school have an
opportunity to gain also recognition of their IT skills.
3. MICROSOFT E-LEARNING
Concept of initiative (academic program) which directly
transfers experience and know-how from business to
academic sector is clearly demonstrated within the
Microsoft IT Academy program – particularly within the
program benefits. Official Microsoft e-learning system
primarily developed for commercial use has been included
to the benefit portfolio. Program members receive unlimited
access to a selection of Microsoft e-learning courses
specially chosen for their alignment to technology courses
typically taught at Microsoft IT Academies.
Brief Introduction to the Microsoft E-learning System
E-learning system available for Microsoft IT Academy is
a standard Learning Management System (LMS). The
system fits to most of the standard characteristics of LMS
listed in (3): support for blended learning, administration
tools, content integration, adherence to standards,
assessment capabilities and skills management.
Fig. 4. Program Benefits
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System on front end understands two user roles: instructor
(teacher) and student (learner). The concept of instructor –
student user model was developed specially for purposes
of academic program while the commercial implementation
of system understands only learner’s role. Microsoft
Windows Live ID is required for instructor as well as
student to access the e-learning system.
Instructors may use the e-learning to expand their
professional skills and concepts, and to garner ideas for the
classroom. They have the ability to create access codes and
track their students’ online learning progress. Through the
LMS instructors can create course groups (virtual classes),
course access codes (that provide students with access to a
predefined set of e-learning materials), real-time reports
(summarizing student sign in, attendance and assessment
data) and finally access documentation, help text, and
FAQs. The Fig. 5 outlines the primary administrator
workflow when using the LMS. Secondary, LMS features
include text-based e-mail, student subscription management
and search and edit of student records.
4. INSIDE THE SYSTEM
E-learning Pedagogy
The Microsoft e-learning system introduces a new concept
of “wheel course progression”. Standard e-learning system
allows student to progress linearly through course content
(4). It means that student absorbs (reads, learns) content
progress moving along the fixed sequence established by
content’s author – usually from general introductory topics
to more specified issues.
Fig. 6. Standard Linear Progression
MANAGE USERS—GROUPS
Plan course group structure
Create parent groups (optional)
Create sub-groups (individual courses)
ADMINISTER CONTENT—ACCESS CODES
Plan a naming convention (eight-character maximum)
Verify subscription pool information
Create access code (align with course group)
Fig. 7. Wheel
Wheel course progression allows student to choose in what
order to follow particular parts of course content. Lesson (or
course) can be completed only after completing (absorbing)
all content parts – in this case it is not important what the
sequence of content parts is. In the system student can
switch between standard linear and new wheel progression.
MANAGE USERS—REPORTS
Student sign in
Attendance
Assessment
Fig. 5. LMS Administration Workflow
• Static
graphics
• Graphics
with
rollovers
• Graphics
with
“click-toviews”
• Tile flip
game
• “Legos”
building
games
Animations
• Drag and
drop
• Formula
box
• Job aid
• Cause and
effect:
screenshot,
radio
button
• Simulations
Games
Interactivities
Course Portfolio
Course portfolio offers over 250 e-learning courses
organized into collections that align to typical IT Academy
semester- or quarter- based courses.
Academies have access to specific courses and collection
according to the level of their membership:
 The e-learning portfolio at the Essential level includes:
information worker courses on desktop applications and
operating systems
 The e-learning portfolio at the Advanced level includes:
IT Professional courses on operating and server systems
and developer courses.
Graphics
Microsoft e-learning enhances learning by providing
a varied and interactive experience. Course content consists
of a combination of several elements what adds richness
and complexity to the study material. They include
interactive elements, graphics, games and animations.
Interactive and game element can be seen in the Fig. 10 and
Fig. 11.
Students get access to the system using access code
generated by an instructor. They find that the multimedia
learning experience adds a rich, interactive dimension to the
class concepts, and enables them to get more hands-on
practice with the concepts and skills they need.
• Passive
animations
• Interactive
animations
Fig. 8. Elements of Course Content
The e-learning platform is available in 9 world languages
with English obviously among them. There is a plan for
localization of several desktop application course. First
local experiences with implementation of e-learning in
Microsoft IT Academy curricula show that language is the
first barrier in efficient usage of this successful educational
tool.
Text and graphics delivers to student basic information on
learnt content. Interactivity of e-learning content is strongly
extended by virtual labs. Virtual lab (vLab) is practical
educational tools which allows student to get hand-on
experience with technology. vLab provides on-line access to
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the equipment and application necessary for students to
complete lab activity. These labs are mostly used in elearning courses on server systems or developing tools. For
example in Course 2275: Maintaining a Microsoft®
Windows Server™ 2003 Environment a student is required
to use Microsoft Windows Server 2003 to administer
servers remotely and administer local and remote
connections. Student connects remotely to servers and
performs given set of tasks. The lab includes task, suggested
approach, sample solution. Student can also check results.
Instructor Portal
The portal on instructor’s side is organized in order to let
instructor have easy access to all functions and tools.
Access to the portal is restricted by set one-time access
codes which academy requests when entering the Microsoft
IT Academy program. The access code needs only be
entered on the initial site visit. For every next visit only
signing in using Microsoft Windows Live ID is required.
Punto
Fig. 12. Instructor Portal: Main Page
Virtual Lab
(remote server)
Following the LMS administration workflow (as depicted in
Fig. 5), an instructor is recommended to firstly to arrange
study groups. Groups set the organizational foundation for
e-learning and are used for planning and reporting.
Administering access codes is important to maintain course
use and control student access to appropriate courses.
Before creating codes, instructor must decide on a naming
convention, number and type of codes (single- or multi-user
access codes). Code creation is very simple, four-step
procedure (see Fig. 13) where an instructor combines
created study groups and available content to assign
(courses, collections). Codes can be sent out to all students
in a group.
Fig. 9. Virtual Lab (Example)
Fig. 10. Screenshot: Example of Game Element
Fig. 13. Screenshot: Access Code Creation
During study instructor monitors students’ progress by
using several reporting tools. Reports enable tracking of
student learning progress in the following areas:
 Student login: reports show general statistics for student
site activity. Details include dates of first and most
recent logins, number of logins, and number of students.
Fig. 11. Screenshot: Example of Interactive Element
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 Attendance: reports provide a record of student access
to courses including details for courses attended,
completed, registered, required, and recommended.
 Assessment: report provides summary-level activity for
completed assessments and historical detail for each
course and student. Scores on completed assessments
and the percentage of improvement between each
assessment are included.
Reports are exported in editable format (.xls) what allows
instructor to work further with data.
Assessment
Lessons
Instructor’s portal also offers enhanced features like:
 Student search and edit: this feature allows access to
student e-mail addresses, and editing of their
active/inactive status.
 E-mail communications: LMS e-mail communication
feature allows creation of plain-text e-mail messages
that can be sent to individual students or groups
available in the system. Mailing can also be scheduled
for certain future time and date.
Fig. 16. Course Main Page
Student Portal
Student’s side of Microsoft e-learning portal is developed to
provide students with easy and flexible access to all
assigned learning content.
For the first visit student must enter access code provided
by instructor. The student’s main page list all e-learning
courses assigned from the instructor.
Current
Study
Status
Fig. 17. Assessment Example
Offline Access
All e-learning content is available for students not online
but also offline. Offline access is administered by
application Microsoft E-learning Offline Player.
In student portal, in course view a student can select which
parts of course he wants to have accessible offline. He can
download an entire course or for courses that support lesson
level downloading student can choose a few lessons at a
time. Then when he logs back onto the live site, he can
synchronize lesson progress manually or automatically. All
the content student accessed offline gets recorded and
tracked in his online profile.
Study environment in offline player is the same as in online
access. For courses that have labs, the labs are not available
offline. All other content, including simulations, may be
downloaded.
Assigned
Courses
Fig. 14. Student Portal: Main Page
Each course is structuralized into lessons (see Fig. 16).
Student accesses any lesson by his choice; the sequence of
lessons is not limited. Student can interrupt lesson at any
time and come back to study later.
Courses include also assessment which is used to measure
student’s study results. Assessment usually consists of online test with closed questions (see Fig. 17). After taking an
assessment, student may view summaries from the My
Transcript page (see Fig. 15). Transcripts include course
name, first and last time the course was accessed, progress
of the questions answered, date last assessed and questions
answered correctly.
Fig. 15. My Transcript
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Fig. 18. Offline Player
5. CONCLUSIONS
Microsoft IT Academy program has become integrated part
of ICT education in almost 100 Slovak basic and secondary
schools and universities. Implementing Microsoft e-learning
in the program curricula opens new possibilities for
practical and hand-on learning experience for Slovak
students. Possible localization of e-learning content in local
language (Slovak or Czech language) might strongly
support successful implementation of Microsoft e-learning
content in the regular educational process. Experiences with
implementation of e-learning system with global content in
local conditions might be interesting issue for further study.
6. REFERENCES
(1) Microsoft: Global Benefits Guide 2007–2008.
Microsoft. 2007, adopted from:
http://www.microsoft.com/education/MSITAcademy/do
wnloads.mspx
(2) Fedák, V: Microsoft IT Academy - Program na
Slovensku, elfa, s.r.o., 2008, adopted from
www.microsoftitacademy.sk
(3) Greenberg, L.: LMS and LCMS: What's the Difference?
Learning Circuits, 2002, adopted from
http://www.learningcircuits.org/NR/exeres/72E3F68C4047-4379-8454-2B88C9D38FC5.htm
(4) Hyland, A.: IT Academy Benefit Overview / e-learning.
Microsoft, 2008.
THE AUTHOR
Viliam Fedák graduated at University of
Economics in Bratislava, Faculty of Business
Administration in Košice, Slovakia in 2002.
Since 2006 he works as a vendor
(coordinator) for Microsoft IT Academy
program in Slovakia. He has experiences with
managing of academic programs, educational
activities and projects.
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