Applies ToMicrosoft Teams for Education

No two educational institutions are the same, and neither are the solutions they use for teaching and learning. In order to support a connected and engaged school community, Microsoft products, like Teams for Education, are designed to meet you where you are, with features that add to–and don’t replace–your current use of learning management systems and other apps. 

In a distance learning scenario, Teams can work fluidly alongside several Learning Management Systems (LMS) and apps, supporting the crucial need for online lectures, discussions, and collaboration. In partnership with Teams features like meetings, live events, assignments, and more, you can keep using your same LMS. You can turn off Teams features not relevant to your institution, leverage the ones that are, and create a multi-tool solution that enables students, educators, and staff to do their best work.

                        Teacher sitting at desk in front of computer screen

Your distance learning toolbox: 

Microsoft Teams for Education: a platform that enables lectures, one-on-one and group discussions, and focused content work. 

An LMS like Canvas, Schoology, Blackboard, D2L—Brightspace , or Moodle: supports curriculum and class rosters. 

A video platform like Zoom: supports video conferencing and webinars. 

Add Teams to your toolbox at a level that’s right for your institution

Note: Teams is free to all Education users right now. Learn more here.

Professors, students, and IT Admins, refer to the tabbed sections here for more in-depth guidance in optimizing Teams with your LMS and apps in a distance learning setting. 

Start with easy meetings, small group work, and online events (lectures and more) 

Teams meetings + Canvas integration

Using Microsoft Teams, you can invite your LMS classes to join you in an online virtual call. Students don’t need an account to join the meeting – generate your own unique meeting link, share in your LMS, and students can click to join right away. 

Create and share your unique meeting link:  

  • Navigate to your calendar in Teams and copy the “Join Microsoft Teams Meeting” link.

  • Share your meeting with a class by posting an announcement with the meeting link in your LMS.Microsoft Teams link in Canvas post

  • Students using Edge or Chrome can simply click the link to join the meeting. Not using those browsers? Download the Teams app and join without logging in. Learn more

In your virtual Teams meetings, you can:  

  • Hold meetings of up to 250 people (for larger presentations, see Live Events below).

  • Share your screen to present materials.

  • Manage permissions. As the owner of the meeting, you can decide who can record and present their screen. You can also mute attendees if you need to keep the call centered on what you’re sharing. Use the dropdowns in Meeting options to adjust your settings.Select who's allowed to present in Teams meeting options

Practices to consider (take or leave depending on your meeting needs): 

  • Determine whether you want students to speak up directly in the meeting or stay muted and type their questions or comments in the meeting chat.

  • Designate someone in the meeting (other than the presenter) to respond to questions in the chat or manage other activities related to meeting content.

Create a live event

Broadcast a large event, lecture, book talk, or academic panel with up to 10,000 people using Teams.  

Presenter on video in a Microsoft Teams meeting

Use Teams chat to create study groups 

No need to set up teams for class discussions–you can jump into chats right away. 

  • Students and educators can create group chats to study and communicate, from one-on-one conversations to chats with up to 100 people.

  • Chat in Teams offers real-time and asynchronous messaging, file collaboration, and the ability to meet instantly with your group. Learn more about chatting in Teams.

See how it works: University of Central Lancashire uses Teams chat to coordinate staff.

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