Microsoft Teams FAQs - Learning and Teaching Hub @Bath

The FAQs below result from the TEL teams conversations with staff around the University, particularly relating to learning and teaching.

Further guidance can be found on the University of Bath – Learning Pathways site

For technical queries contact DD&T (Computing Services) via their helpdesk.

Initial Setup

Will Teams work on my computer?

Teams can run on any desktop via the browser: go to teams.microsoft.com and there are also desktop Teams clients for Windows/Mac.

The mobile client is available for Android and iOS.

All students and staff have a login via their abc123@bath.ac.uk login.

I am having problems with Teams on my Mac

There are problems with Safari and the in-browser version. Use the full desktop version of Teams or try another browser such as Google Chrome.

Can students set up their own teams?

Yes, students and staff have the same access to Teams via their abc123@bath.ac.uk login. This lets anybody set up a Team, to organise meetings (video or audio only), and share files.

This can be useful for student group work, societies or other types of collaborations.

Can Teams be used with people outside of the University?

Yes, externals can join meetings and join Teams. They can either:

be invited to an ad-hoc/scheduled meeting with any email address and they receive a link. Links generated in this way can also be shared to allow anyone to join.
externals can also be added to a Team as a guest and a meeting hosted there. This also allows them access to the file sharing, office collaboration tools.

Do I need a headset and how do I get one?

If you are holding a live meeting where you will be speaking, a headset is important to limit noise and feedback for others.

These are available through the IT shop in the Library.

If you do get stuck without a proper headset, a hands-free kit (as you get with new mobile phones) can work (depending on your computer port) or even just a pair of earphones. These can also limit computer noise and feedback for the caller.

How can I check my webcam & microphone settings are working?

You can check your microphone, webcam and audio are working before going into a meeting with a test call. Have everything plugged in and then select your profile picture, then Settings > Devices. You can review and change the selected devices here or just Make a test call to see if everything is setup.

What about Skype/GoToWebinar/WebEx/Slack/Discord/WhatsApp/another platform...?

While there are many options for meeting and working online, only Microsoft Teams and Zoom are supported by the University. Also please consider data protection and GDPR legislation if using a third party solution (Data Protection at the University).

Can I use a Microsoft Teams live event?

Standard staff and student users at the University of Bath are not licensed to create Microsoft Teams Live Events.

A Microsoft Teams Live Event may be more suitable if you are holding an event such as a conference or public lecture. In this case, contact the AV department to discuss your requirements.

Communicating and collaborating in a Team

Can I use Microsoft Teams instead of Moodle?

Moodle should be the main platform for learning materials such as assignments, course documentation, learning materials and links to LOIL and IPT recordings. Any recorded video and audio content should be hosted on Re:View (Panopto). However, we are aware that some features of Teams allows staff and students to communicate and collaborate and staff will wish to create Teams to complement their Moodle page.

Can I enrol an entire cohort in a Team like I can in Moodle?

There are several ways to do this.
1) Contact DD&T (Computing Services) for a set of instructions which explain how to upload a spreadsheet of names. Contact DD&T through TopDesk for further information.

Or:
1) First, create a Class Team
Once you’ve created the Team you have a couple of options.
2) Click on the … next to the Team name and choose ‘Get link to Team’. This will generate a URL which you can email to students or post on Moodle. They click it and a request is sent for team owners to approve each new member.
3) In ‘Manage settings’ turn on a joining code. Send the code to students and they can join by entering the code.

Again, for a Class Team a request is sent to team owners to approve each new member.

Other types of team such as ‘PLC’ or ‘Other’ do not require approval once the joining link has been clicked or the code entered. These types of teams are more suitable for project work, planning with colleagues or research groups.

What type of Team should I create for different purposes?

This page explains the different Teams choices.

They are broadly similar but the Class Team and Staff Team have hierarchical structures. The general advice is to use a Class Team for teaching with students and use a PLC or Other team when collaborating with colleagues.

Teams allows me to add apps such as Trello, Mindmeister and Kathoot - can I use these with my students?

The CLT have created an overview page on the use of non-supported tools.

When using tools such as those linked to Microsoft Teams, it’s important to read the terms & conditions, especially regarding privacy of data. The way that Microsoft Teams presents third-party apps can be confusing – it looks like all of the apps are included in the University’s package, but many of these are add-ons which require additional signing up to, often with some data being passed to third-parties.

Setting up Meetings in Moodle

How do I set up a Microsoft Teams meeting in Moodle?

Microsoft Teams meetings can be created from within any Moodle text editor by those with editing rights on a Moodle page (usually those with a Teacher role). This creates an instant meeting link that can be accessed from the Moodle page.

The meeting does not appear in the associated Outlook or Moodle calendars (although it can be created directly in the Moodle calendar) and no additional presenters can be set.
We recommend that when setting up meetings with students, you change the default meeting option for ‘Who can present?’ to ‘Only me.’ This will prevent students from being able to share their screen or record the meeting (unless they are changed into a presenter during the meeting).
We also suggest that the meeting organiser attends the meeting as no others attendees will be able to amend the presenting rights during the meeting or share their screens (unless the default is left on and everyone can present).

This video demonstrates how to set up a Microsoft Teams meeting from within Moodle using the Moodle text editor.

I have set up a Microsoft Teams meeting in Moodle. How do I change the meeting options retrospectively?

This video demonstrates how to change the meeting options for a meeting that you have created in Moodle.

Please note that only the meeting organiser can be change the meeting options . To change the meeting organiser, the previous meeting must be deleted and a new person must create a new meeting, therefore taking the role as organiser of the new meeting.

How do I open a Microsoft Teams meeting from Moodle?

This video demonstrates how to open a Microsoft Teams meeting that has been set up in Moodle (and therefore does not generate an Outlook calendar meeting).

Setting up Meetings directly in Teams or Outlook

How do I create a Meeting from outside of Moodle (using the Teams app or Outlook)?

Note: The following guidance was created in March 2020. The guidance is the same but some screenshots may differ due to Microsoft updating the software.

Watch our step by step guidance video or follow the instructions below:

Open Outlook desktop client, and open up your calendar
Select “New Teams Meeting”
Fill in all the details (title, date, description).
You can either manually invite participants, but this may be time-consuming for large groups, so the alternative is to forward a meeting URL by email to participants using the course email list, or pasting the URL into the relevant Moodle course. Participants can join by the meeting by clicking on the URL. Students can join the meeting via the web, the Teams desktop client or on the phones with the Teams App.
To get the URL, right click on the “Join Microsoft Teams Meeting” link.

I've created a meeting and will send a link to participants. Will this appear in their Outlook calendars?

No, if you email a link to a participant or group of participants then they will need to manually add the meeting to their calendar.

What are the recommended settings for a Teams meeting?

It is recommended to use the following options when creating a meeting in Microsoft Teams. This will give you control over who is able to present during a meeting. This is especially useful in large meetings where there are many participants and also for data protection purposes.
Select “Meeting Options”
Set the options as follows: Who can bypass the lobby? “People in my organisation” Who can present? “Only me.”
Once the meeting is running, click on the icon to show participant details if you need.
This gives you options to mute participants microphones and make attendees into presenters (this gives them the ability to share their screens and present)

How many participants can attend?

You can have 1000 people in total per meeting. For more information, see this Microsoft article on limits and specifications.

Is there a time limit to Teams Meetings?

The meeting start time +8 hours.

How do I invite a whole student group?

There are different ways to initiate a Teams meeting: the methods are covered in our guidance video.

For a large cohort of students already registered on a unit, the simplest method is to create a Teams meeting and forward the meeting link to the cohort (see University of Bath unit lists). NOTE: You cannot add the cohort as attendees. You must email them the meeting link. This will NOT appear in their Outlook calendars automatically.

Before scheduling a meeting you can use the Scheduling Assistant tab in Outlook or Teams to check everyone’s availability.

Note that everyone has just one calendar that is synced between Outlook and Teams (Teams meetings give the additional option to “Join Now” for video chat and share files).

Why would I want to have my Teams meeting linked to a Team/Channel instead of just creating a new meeting?

Teams in Microsoft Teams are spaces with a dedicated group of participants who have common access to communication and collaboration tools (shared documents). Creating a Meeting in an existing Channel in a Team means that all existing members of the Team can attend (you don’t have to invite participants) and will have access to any Teams files. This is not appropriate for inviting members who aren’t part of that Team.

On the other hand if you are creating a meeting outside of a Team, then this is a standalone discussion and any documents/text chat will only be visible to those participants.

Can I stop students presenting?

By default everyone can present during a Meeting (initiate a share screen). It is possible to limit this to Only you/Specific People/People from our Organisation (see guidance on how to change this).

Even as non-presenters, participants are still able to text chat on the side and also unmute their microphone (the presenter can also mute participants).

If I set up a meeting in a specific channel, can all users with access to that channel join the meeting (or see a record of it) even if not invited?

When you have a meeting in a channel, everyone in the team will be able to see it and join it in that channel.

If you wish to restrict meetings to only certain people, then it is advisable to hold a meeting outside of a Team.

Where is the lobby option?

Once you’ve created a meeting you, invited someone AND saved it: there will be a footer on the event description with ‘Meeting Options’

Can I skip/enforce a lobby?

The lobby settings can be viewed on this Microsoft Teams help page.

Running Meetings

What happens if the organiser drops their connection?

The meeting and participants will still be there but not the presenter. Any content that the presenter is sharing also won’t be available.

For presenters it is especially important that they have a reliable signal and fast connection.

How do I get to see the chat window, (un)mute myself, hide/show my webcam?

The image below shows the main meeting controls. Note: Microsoft regularly update Teams, therefore the image below may not be the most up-to-date version (but many of the icons are the same).

Can I delete/edit something in the chat?

To edit/delete your message in a Teams chat, hover over the top right of the message you want to change > Select the Three Dots (…) > Edit/Delete.

In order to share a presentation, do you have to upload it somewhere before?

If you have it saved in Teams/your University OneDrive you can share it with the Present > Powerpoint option.

Likewise, you can upload direct from your computer.

Otherwise you can share a window/your whole screen, which also works for things that aren’t Powerpoint presentations (other documets, simulations, etc)

Can you assign co-organisers in a Teams meeting?

Yes. This can be done via Outlook or Teams by clicking on Meeting options (towards the end of the meeting invite). The list will look similar to the screenshot below.

Enter the names of the co-organisers and save the settings.

Is there a breakout rooms option for Teams meetings?

Breakout rooms (breaking up a main meeting into smaller group meetings) are available in Teams meetings. View an at-a-glance comparison of Microsoft Teams and Zoom breakout room functionality.

Please see the University of Bath – Learning Pathways site for more information about breakout rooms.

Can I (or anybody else) open and manage Breakout rooms?

The meeting organiser will automatically have permission to manage Breakout rooms from the meeting controls – see the highlighted icon below for how to access these.

If you set up a meeting and would like more than one person to be able to manage Breakout rooms, this is possible once the meeting has started. You can delegate presenters to manage the meeting’s breakout rooms by clicking on the Rooms icon.

Only one person at a time can manage a meeting’s breakout rooms.

Use Breakout rooms in Microsoft Teams meetings – guidance from Microsoft

How to troubleshoot when things go wrong

Firstly, before the meeting try to pre-empt possible issues. Common problems include:

Losing internet connection (Try to use a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi)
Participant technical issues (Ask participants to arrive up to 10 minutes before the start time to iron out any problems. You will not be able to solve everything during the session!).
Too many questions from participants whilst presenting (Use the chat function. Ask a colleague to help monitor the chat so that you can focus on presenting. Make it clear that questions will be covered in a suitable break or at the end).
Screen/document sharing (Don’t have too many windows open at once, just what you need for the session. Can you also host the documents elsewhere such as Moodle so participants can view them if there is an issue with Teams? Do you have access to a second monitor so that you can display the meeting on one monitor and documents on another?)
I’ve never done this before! (Have a test meeting first with a colleague to give you confidence before the session)

This document outlines top tips for running a webinar.

If I have several hundred participants in a meeting, do I need to mute them all?

For meeting with more than 5 people, new participants join muted by default.

It is always possible for a presenter to mute select or all participants (if ‘who can present’ option is enabled).

It is also possible for a participant to unmute their microphone and start talking (this is the same as in lectures where it is only social norms that prevent this!), but can allow for questions.

What can I do about my/participants connection issues in a Meeting?

We recommend to use asynchronous activities (pre-recorded material/sharing documents, Moodle forums etc.) rather than run entire Meetings live where possible. This limits the need for a fast and stable internet connection at peak times and mitigates problems if people drop out (additionally this is more convenient for many).

Microsoft have some useful guidance and tips on how to Use Teams for schoolwork when bandwidth is low.

It’s also worth considering what contingency there is if connection completely drops: is there someone to step in for a facilitator, can the outputs be shared/recorded, use of text chat, etc?

Is there a hands up option if someone wants to answer a question?

Yes, full details can be found on the Microsoft support pages.

Can I see the faces of all attendees like in Zoom?

Microsoft Teams meetings have a maximum of 9 visible attendees at any one time. It is possible to enable Large Gallery mode to see up to 49 user videos. The attendees must have their webcams switched on (but be aware that this will increase bandwidth and may not be suitable for users with a variable internet connection).

The attendees can't hear my audio

When sharing your screen, e.g. to play a YouTube video, ensure that you enable the option to ‘Include computer sound’ when sharing your screen. This option is not available for Mac users.

For more information see the Microsoft support pages.

Can I download a list of meeting attendees?

Yes. A tile labeled ‘Attendance report’ will pop into the chat about five minutes after your meeting ends. Select it to download the .CSV file to your device. For more information see the Microsoft support pages.

How do I see captions during a meeting?

During a meeting participants can turn on live captions to follow what others are saying. This can make meetings more inclusive for attendees. For more information see the Microsoft support pages.

How do I end a meeting?

The meeting organiser can end a meeting for all attendees by clicking on ‘…’ and then ‘End meeting.’ This ensures that everyone leaves the meeting, rather than just ‘hanging up’ where the meeting continues for those that haven’t hung up. For more information see the Microsoft support pages.

How do I focus on just one person in the meeting?

Attendees can pin a presenter so that one person takes up the full screen (as opposed to up to 9 people sharing their webcams on the screen at once). For more information see the Microsoft support pages.

How do I turn off video during a meeting?

If you have a weak internet connection, it is advisable to stop viewing other attendee’s webcams and just listen to their audio. During a meeting you can choose to ‘Turn off incoming video.’ This short video explains how to turn off incoming video.

Collaborating in Meetings

Should I share my window/screen or use the Powerpoint option?

Screen sharing or sharing a certain widow is useful for sharing applications that aren’t Powerpoint or if you want your cursor to be visible. Some users may find screen sharing uses lots of bandwidth, so there may be a delay to the audio/video.

Advantages of using the Powerpoint “Share” feature in a Teams meeting are that:

It uses hosting from Microsoft so is much less reliant on the Presenter’s internet connection
Users can navigate through the Powerpoint at their own pace.
Users can click on hyperlinks whilst the PowerPoint is being shared which they cannot do if the desktop is being share.

Sharing content in Microsoft Teams meetings – help guidance from Microsoft

Does saving a file in Teams mean that multiple people could edit it during a call?

Yes, with Microsoft365 you can collaborate on documents together from numerous spaces – the files area of a Team, the meeting assets, or in Teams chats.

Collaborate on files in Microsoft Teams – guidance from Microsoft

How to use a whiteboard in a Microsoft Teams meeting

During a meeting you can share a collaborative whiteboard that everybody can ink onto. This function works best if you have a touchscreen device.

The whiteboard does not get recorded in a Teams meeting. There is a workaround which involves sharing a window in a meeting, and opening the whiteboard directly from Microsoft Office so that it is being shared from your browser window.

Likewise, it is possible to use Whiteboard outside of Teams. Open it directly from Microsoft Office and send the link to others to collaborate with them.

How do I run a poll during a Teams meeting?

During a meeting you can use the meeting chat to run a quick multiple choice poll using Microsoft Forms. This must be run from the Teams application chat, not the meeting chat. Click the three dots to access Forms.

Some staff have previously used an application called Polly to do this but this is now limited to 25 responses on the free subscription.

Other polling options include creating a Microsoft Form prior to the session and pasting the link into the chat. Or using TurningPoint polling software which is supported by the University.

Pedagogical support

Would Teams be appropriate to deliver tutorial/workshop activities that normally involve distribution of paper questions to students?

We recommend that staff use Moodle or other familiar platforms for the majority of their teaching delivery during this period. There is guidance here about teaching online.

If you do wish to use Microsoft Teams for this, then use it in conjunction with Moodle or Microsoft Forms (create a form and send the link to students so they can fill it in online). You could distribute the questions electronically and give students some time to answer (remember that students may be ill or in different time zones). Then set up a Teams webinar if you wish to discuss as a small group and follow up on the answers/misconceptions and field any questions the students have (this could also be done in a Moodle forum).

How can I run a large live Q&A session and deliver some introductory slides?

Our general guidance promotes asynchronous discussions (for example Moodle forums or Microsoft Form questionnaires) to initially gather questions. This can have the added benefit of learners being able to think and generate questions and also takes the pressure of a live presentation (both in terms of gathering and responding to questions and also presenter/participant connection issues).

Asynchronous learning can also be supported by a recording of a stimulus (e.g. recording a Powerpoint presentation with a voiceover – see our Drop-in material recording).

If you plan to run some element of live meeting, please consider:

Setting clear expectations around format and content of Meeting, including contigency.
Inviting a whole student group
Recommended Teams meeting settings
Muting students
Troubleshooting in a Meeting
and the rest of this page for support.

Recording Meetings

How do you record a Teams meeting?

We currently do not recommend recording learning & teaching sessions using Microsoft Teams for the reasons explained here.

Meetings can be recorded pressing the More Options button (…) and then Start Recording (see screenshot). This will record the audio and video channels (including screen shares and webcams) from the presentation.

Please remember to inform participants that the meeting is being recorded – a banner will also pop up to tell them – and stop the recording when you finish.

Who can start recording? Can I stop people recording me?

By default any participant at the University (staff/student) can begin recording in a Meeting (external guests cannot).

To restrict who can start recording then you need to designate Who Can Present (Just me/people in my organisation/specific people) in the Meeting Options.

How can I download a copy of the chat after a meeting?

Unfortunately there does not seem to be an easy way to do this. When you finish a meeting the chat remains in the ‘Chat’ section of Teams (you can see it on the left hand side of Teams). It is possible to manually copy and paste this into a text editor like Microsoft Word. For longer chats it is advisable to do this in several shorter chunks.