Microsoft Teams: Conducting a Synchronous Class Meeting in Teams

Rollins has a site license for Microsoft Teams. You may use this to meet with students synchronously.

• General Connection Advice:
  • Please keep in mind that a strong internet connection is required for videoconferencing, which may be an issue for some students.  You could ask students to connect to a Teams meeting using audio only (no video) since this may help with low-bandwidth issues. The audio-only option may also be more comfortable for students if they have been without power. 
• For the best experience and access to all features, use the desktop app.
  • How to Install Microsoft Teams
• Teams also has a mobile app for iOS and Andriod

Preparing to Use Teams

Prior to conducting a class session in Teams, you will need to set up your course.

• Create a team for your class
• Add members (students) to your team ​
• Review permission settings ​
• Set up channels for small group work and breakout rooms ​

Scenario 1:  You are conducting class on campus and one or more students are remote. 

Before the On-campus Class:

• Use the class team you have set up to run the session. 
• Since you have added the students to your class team, they will have the team on their dashboard. This will be displayed on the home page after they sign in to Teams.

During the On-campus Class:

• For best results, connect your laptop to the multimedia cart (MMC) located in the classroom.
  • How to Configure the Polycom Studio for Microsoft Teams on Mac
  • How to Configure the Polycom Studio for Microsoft Teams on PC

• Using the MMC and IPEVO document camera will allow you to teach in different modes to reach your face-to-face and remote students 
  • Mode 1: Lecture and Share Content
  • Mode 2: Whiteboarding or Document Camera Integration
  • Mode 3: Whole-class discussion
• If your local and remote students are working in groups, they should all be present in Teams.
• If the video for a remote student is freezing due to bandwidth issues on their end, you could ask the student to turn off video and use audio only.

Scenario 2:  In the case that the campus is closed and faculty are asked to teach classes remotely, you may opt to conduct a synchronous class meeting using Teams. 

Before the Virtual Class:

• Plan the session ahead of time.
  • How will you structure the session?
  • What will you show students during the meeting?
    • Teams has screen-sharing capabilities.
  • Would you like students to read anything or review questions prior to the session?
  • How would you like students to participate in the discussion?
    • Will you utilize the chat feature or will you call on students to speak?
      • Be sure to pause and look at questions in the chat area so that you can answer them. 
• Use the class team you have set up to run the session. 
• Since you have added the students to your class team, they will have the team on their dashboard. This will be displayed on the home page after they sign in to Teams.
• If possible, conduct a practice session before the class meeting to become comfortable using screen sharing and other features. 

During the Virtual Class:

• Share etiquette and expectations for students at the beginning of the session. 
  • Let students know if they can post questions in the chat area or if you will ask for questions throughout the session. 
  • Ask students to mute their microphones when not talking.
  • You can mute all students from the participant panel.