Microsoft Teams

Status - Approved

Approved for use.

Tool Description

A cloud-based team collaboration software that includes business messaging, calling, video meetings and file sharing.

Overview

The Class feature within Microsoft Teams is now available as an integration within Canvas. This tool helps educators and students easily navigate between Canvas and Teams. Follow these steps to enable and use Microsoft Teams in your Canvas course.

Step 1: Enable and Sync Microsoft Teams in your Canvas course

From the course navigation menu, click on Settings
Select the Integrations tab
Enable the Microsoft Sync toggle
Click on the dropdown arrow next to Microsoft Sync
Click the Sync Now button to sync your Canvas course with Microsoft Teams
- This step will need to be completed once in the beginning of the semester,, and once again after add/drop week. This process will sync your Canvas roster with Microsoft Teams enrollments.

For more information on how to enable and sync Microsoft Teams, visit Use Microsoft Teams classes in your LMS.

Step 2: Access Microsoft Teams from your Canvas course

Select the Microsoft Teams navigation link in the course navigation menu
Click the Sign in button
Enter your TAMU email address (NetID@tamu.edu) and click Next
Enter your TAMU Password and click Sign in
Click the course card that appears to launch Microsoft Teams

*Faculty/Students may also access the course from within the Microsoft Team desktop application if it is downloaded. This is the recommended way to access Microsoft Teams for an optimized experience.

Step 3: Activate your Class Team in Microsoft Teams

Once you are ready to make your Class in Microsoft Teams ready, you will be able to Activate your team.

Select the Activate button to allow students to participate in your team
Click on More Options (...) next to the name of the team
Review the enrolled members of your Class in Microsoft Teams by clicking Manage Team and then expanding the Members and Guests menu

For more information about Activating your Class in Microsoft Teams, visit this Microsoft Support help article.

Note: The Microsoft Teams integration within Canvas at TAMU will automatically sync the roster and does not require contacting your IT admin.

Step 4: Communicate through Teams

Options for communicating to students using Microsoft Teams are:

Creating Channels

From the Team that has been created for your course within Microsoft Teams, click on More Options (...) next to the name of the team
Select Add Channel
Set a Channel Name, Description, and Privacy Settings
Click Save

Add Conversation

Access the Channel in your Microsoft Teams class by clicking the title
On the bottom right of the page, click New conversation
- Tip: Type “@General” to notify all members of this team about the conversation

For more information about how to use Channels in Teams, view Work in Channels within Microsoft Teams.

Best Practices for Microsoft Teams in Canvas

Create assessments and record all grades within Canvas as the assignments, quizzes, and grades features within Microsoft Teams do not sync with Canvas.
Microsoft Teams does not sync with the roster in Howdy, but instead with the roster in Canvas. Rely on the roster in Canvas to compare with the member list in Teams. If there are any discrepancies, try to use the Sync Now option in your Canvas course within the Settings.
Consider using one consistent communication method to interact with your students and ask students to update their notification preferences accordingly.
Microsoft Teams channels/instant message
Canvas discussions/announcements

Support

For more info on this tool, please visit the Microsoft Teams support page.