Case Study: University of Cambridge achieves greater student learning and collaboration with Microsoft Corporation Azure Notebooks

University of Cambridge increases student learning with open source Azure service

The University of Cambridge wanted to modernize its engineering curriculum and introductory computing classes by moving beyond low-level tools and on-premises infrastructure. Using Microsoft Corporation’s Azure, specifically Azure Notebooks Service powered by Jupyter, the university aimed to help students focus more on core concepts, problem solving, and collaborative open source workflows instead of installation and syntax issues.

Microsoft Corporation implemented Azure Notebooks as a scalable, cloud-based service that gave students anytime, anywhere access to tools and notebooks. The results were strong: the new course exceeded expectations, students reached a higher learning level, and they were able to work with real data, plots, and interactive exercises that had previously been out of reach. The solution also reduced setup problems, improved collaboration, and removed infrastructure limits so classes could scale beyond 340 students.

University of Cambridge

Garth Wells

Hibbit Reader in Solid Mechanics, Department of Engineering