MS Teams: Teaching Tips

We recommend that Faculty use the KISS (Keep It Simple and Strategic) principle when exploring the Teams application with their students.

MS Teams is great for:

• conducting virtual office hours (e.g., setup a recurring meeting in Outlook and sharing the link with students).

• group work and synchronous collaboration with students

• engaging students in instructional activities by referencing materials that have been uploaded to Blackboard

• building social/teaching presence by adding a human element to your teaching - i.e., use your camera to share a laugh or story with your students

Faculty should avoid:

• using MS Teams to host files - both Faculty and students have the ability to add/delete/modify files. Keep your files and assessments in Blackboard. This is familiar space for students.

• receiving official assignments via the chat function - some files can get buried in long chats so it's important that students use Blackboard to submit their assignments.

• introducing new tools without having a clear intent - students can become frustrated if you are trying something with no value. Focus on easier and key functions (e.g., chat & sync meetings).