Which of the following describes manual testing in Azure Test Plans?

Manual testing in Azure Test Plans involves the hands-on execution of test cases by testers. This process is crucial for validating that the software behaves as expected and meets the defined requirements. Testers interact directly with the application, following the test cases to identify defects or verify functionality. This type of testing is significant in scenarios where human observation is essential, such as usability testing or exploratory testing, where a tester's intuition and experience can provide insights that automated tests may not capture.

In contrast, other options describe different aspects of the software development and testing lifecycle. Automated execution of test cases pertains to running pre-scripted tests using testing tools, which is inherently different from the manual testing process. Team collaboration on coding practices encompasses practices like code reviews and pair programming, which focus on development rather than direct testing. Finally, the integration of automated testing tools refers to including scripts or tools designed to execute tests without human intervention, which again does not fit the definition of manual testing. Thus, the distinction made by selecting the execution of test cases by testers highlights the essence of manual testing effectively.