Live sessions for remote courses provide a space where students can ask questions, connect with instructors, and share experiences with fellow students, recreating some of the immediacy and connection of an in-person course.
MS Teams Features
MS Teams is a flexible, all-in-one tool that can support many aspects of your teaching practice. You can use it to:
Host live, synchronous video class sessions
- Facilitate full-class instruction online
Set up breakout spaces for groups of students
Host office hours and study sessions
Schedule individual meetings with students
Record videos for use in asynchronous settings
Important note: Even when teaching online, class sessions must still be scheduled, so students know when to attend and can receive calendar/email invitations through UVM systems. See the UVM Knowledge Base Article for more information on scheduling lectures in Teams.
Teaching with MS Teams
Sharing Content When Teaching
The easiest way to deliver content, such as a PowerPoint file, is directly through the Teams “Share” feature. Look for the share button in Teams and scroll to the list of files you have been working on. When you share a file this way, you still have full access to all the tools in Teams, including chat.
Other Content Sharing Options (with limitations)
Desktop sharing: Best for demonstrating software, interactive websites, or tools with pop-ups (e.g., Brightspace). Students see your full screen, so use this when you need flexibility across applications.
Window sharing: Shares only a specific application window. Students will see only that window, not your full desktop.
Note: Some sharing modes may limit visibility of chat or participants while presenting.
Engage Students During Class Sessions
During a class, you can increase engagement by using features such as:
- Live polls
- Collaborative documents
- Group activities in break out rooms
To learn more about how to teach with MS Teams schedule some time with CTL .
Share Documents for Collaboration
Additionally, this feature can be used for other types of student collaboration such as:
- Managing student group projects
- Co-editing class materials with TAs
- Peer Review of papers or project work
Using MS Teams
Become Familiar with MS Teams Interface
Whenever possible, use the Teams App, not the browser when running a meeting. You can download the Teams app from the UVM software site if it isn’t already on your computer.
Because the interface updates frequently, you might be surprised some days! If something seems off, try quitting the Teams app and restarting it. It’s also a good idea to have a back-up plan (ideally another device) just in case. As a back-up, you can use the web version of Teams or the Teams app on your mobile device. Login with your netid@ uvm.edu and if you join a class or meeting from two devices at the same time, be sure to mute one (both microphone and speakers) to avoid feedback.
Detailed information about using MS Teams in general can be found in this UVM Knowledge Base Article. Please note that some information (such as creating a Team) is not relevant to COURSE TEAMS. Keep reading to learn more!
Logging into Teams
Use your Campus account (@uvm.edu) to log into MS Teams (not your College of Medicine account (@lcom.uvm.edu) to access the full functionality of these features described on this page. More info about navigating between UVM and LCOM is available here in this Knowledge Base Article.
Finding Your Course MS Team(s)
Every Brightspace course automatically includes a Class Team in MS Teams. If you are using both MS Teams and Brightspace, you can add a direct URL to a Team or Channel within a Team (more on Channels below ) and put it in Brightspace as a web link to make it easier for students to navigate between the two systems.
This UVM Knowledge Base Article explains how to find your automatically generated Class Team(s) and make it available to students (“activate”). The article also discusses how to use features such as how to use OneNote and other useful information.
A Note About Channels
Channels help you organize your Class Team into focused spaces - think of them as “subgroups” within a course.
Every team includes a default “General” channel that cannot be renamed or deleted. In addition to that general channel, you can create new channels such as:
By module (e.g., Week 11)
By project (e.g., Final paper)
By people (e.g., channel for a group project with Student 1, Student 2, and Student 3).
Recording and Transcription Options for Class Sessions
MS Teams allows you to record both video and audio from meetings, along with automatic transcription.
These features are especially helpful for students who are unable to attend class due to illness, sports commitments, or other excused reasons. They also help to make your screen recordings more accessible for students in alignment with Title II requirements.
You can even set the meeting to automatically record so that you don’t forget, and nothing is missed!
Additional Resources
- Watch a screencast of how to organize your class recordings by UVM Mathematics Lecturer, Laura Marthaler.