- Mar 9, 2016
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"Cortana Bell" - Think outside the (virtual) bun?
Anyway, the debate whether Cortana should have a place in the education market is not entirely new. You might remember the strange, but quiet announcement from one year ago barring Cortana from the Education version of the Anniversary edition of Windows 10. Microsoft apparently received pressure from K-12 institutions regarding the restriction of Cortana use in classrooms. I tried to point out at the time that this decision left college students like myself (who use Windows 10 Education on home computers) in the dust. The response I got was that in any educational classroom, Cortana would be a feature that would be very disruptive. Subsequently, I was forced to downgrade to Windows 10 Pro. With the future release of the Creators Update, Cortana was re-added into the OS. I still haven't re-upgraded to my Education license, since I am unsure of Microsoft's current or future position on the matter.
Okay, why am I telling you this? The moral to the story is that Microsoft believed, albeit temporarily, that Cortana could do more harm than good in the educational setting. Microsoft did not aknowledge Cortana's flexibility as a digital assistant or its combined potential with the full power of Windows Ink (ironically, first implemented in the Anniversary Update). These two technologies can lead to the creation of student assistance tools for all ages; enhanced note taking, assisted organization and planning, connected classrooms, etc. These tools take what institutions originally saw as limitations and flips them. In this context, they become beneficial to all students.
With the future release of the Windows 10 Timeline feature and the innovation of new smart devices, there is no reason why institutions should see Cortana as a deal-breaking flaw. They just need to think outside the (virtual) bun/box.
What is your opinion about Cortana in the education environment? Do you have a fresh opinion to this old debate?
Anyway, the debate whether Cortana should have a place in the education market is not entirely new. You might remember the strange, but quiet announcement from one year ago barring Cortana from the Education version of the Anniversary edition of Windows 10. Microsoft apparently received pressure from K-12 institutions regarding the restriction of Cortana use in classrooms. I tried to point out at the time that this decision left college students like myself (who use Windows 10 Education on home computers) in the dust. The response I got was that in any educational classroom, Cortana would be a feature that would be very disruptive. Subsequently, I was forced to downgrade to Windows 10 Pro. With the future release of the Creators Update, Cortana was re-added into the OS. I still haven't re-upgraded to my Education license, since I am unsure of Microsoft's current or future position on the matter.
Okay, why am I telling you this? The moral to the story is that Microsoft believed, albeit temporarily, that Cortana could do more harm than good in the educational setting. Microsoft did not aknowledge Cortana's flexibility as a digital assistant or its combined potential with the full power of Windows Ink (ironically, first implemented in the Anniversary Update). These two technologies can lead to the creation of student assistance tools for all ages; enhanced note taking, assisted organization and planning, connected classrooms, etc. These tools take what institutions originally saw as limitations and flips them. In this context, they become beneficial to all students.
With the future release of the Windows 10 Timeline feature and the innovation of new smart devices, there is no reason why institutions should see Cortana as a deal-breaking flaw. They just need to think outside the (virtual) bun/box.
What is your opinion about Cortana in the education environment? Do you have a fresh opinion to this old debate?