Help learners develop robust online reasoning skills for school, career, and life
Hello educators!
We’re excited to announce upcoming enhancements to Search Progress — a Learning Accelerator available through Assignments in Teams for Education and the recently announced Microsoft 365 LTI app (compatible with most major LMS systems). These enhancements are designed to help students navigate today’s complex information ecosystem with confidence.
Why This Matters
Information literacy skills like verifying sources, understanding context, and thinking critically are foundational for responsible and effective navigation of online information. These skills become even more critical as AI becomes an integral part of learning and daily life -- students need more than just access to information, they need to know how to evaluate it. By strengthening these skills, we help students become thoughtful, independent researchers, and savvy digital citizens.
To ensure these features were developed in alignment with the latest in online reasoning research, Microsoft consulted with experts from the Digital Inquiry Group — a team with decades of experience as curriculum designers, classroom educators, researchers, and teacher educator — that has been recognized with awards from UNESCO, the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, the American Educational Research Association, and the School Library Association, to name a few.
What’s New?
Launching in preview in the coming months, the enhanced Search Progress features will allow educators to scaffold the research process (and perhaps pick up some new skills themselves), breaking down complex information evaluation into core skills such as:
- Connecting information to its source: recognizing that every piece of information comes from somewhere and is created for a reason, and to consider the author of the information and why they wrote it
- Evaluating source reputability: looking into the individuals or organizations behind resources and determining what other sources say about them, rather than relying solely on what the source says about itself (analogous to how employers use references in the job interview process)
- Impact awareness: considering what could be at risk if the information is inaccurate or fabricated (for example: information claiming to be health/wellness or financial advice might be greater risk to the reader than an AI-generated image of a cat dancing at the disco)
- Cross-checking and lateral reading: “using the internet to check the internet” — comparing information and perspectives across multiple sources to reveal patterns, differences, and possible inaccuracies
- Metacognitive awareness: reflecting on the research process each step of the way, including why certain sources stood out, which search strategies worked best, and how to apply these learnings in the future
These enhancements introduce more intentional cognitive forcing functions — structured activities and checkpoints to encourage students to pause, consider, and articulate their reasoning as they navigate the complex world of online information. By emphasizing process over product, this approach centers student voices as they reflect on their choices and document their reasoning — making their thinking visible and learning journey clear to educators.
Importantly, these Search Progress enhancements aren’t just for formal research projects: they’re designed for any assignment or class activity that involves online research. Whether students are exploring a new topic, gathering sources for a presentation, or verifying information for a discussion, Search Progress aims to help them build habits that will transfer easily throughout the digital information ecosystem — from more wisely navigating social media to more thoughtfully using AI tools.
Information literacy as a future-ready skill
As global initiatives like the PISA 2029 Media and Artificial Intelligence Literacy (MAIL) assessment start to take shape, schools will be expected to demonstrate that students have had meaningful opportunities to learn about and engage critically with digital content. By integrating tools like Search Progress across various assignments and class activities, educators can ensure that students are better prepared for such assessments, and more importantly, for lifelong success navigating online and AI-generated information.
Get Involved
Educators can sign up for updates and early access to the preview product enhancements and new tools, with additional opportunities to join community calls and share feedback directly with Microsoft’s product team. Join the Search Progress channel in the Education Insiders Program (EIP) team to learn more, and if you’re not yet an EIP member, sign up here: aka.ms/JoinEIP.
Microsoft is committed to helping you foster information and AI literacy, empowering students to succeed in an AI-driven world.
Thank you for being part of the Microsoft Education community, and to all those who have shared feedback so far to help us bring these enhancements to life! 🔍✨
Microsoft