Microsoft Teams is a digital platform that supports collaboration and communication between educators and students. Teams enables the creation of virtual learning spaces where participants can share materials, communicate via chat and video. Educators can structure content in channels, integrate assignments, and use file sharing to support the learning process.
Students can collaborate in their own group spaces and use tools such as shared documents and whiteboards. Both educators and students can create teams and channels, and external collaborators can be added, for example in connection with internships or cooperation with businesses.
From within a Team, it is possible to link to other tools via tabs, and a specific team can also be linked directly from Brightspace.
Creating group spaces for student collaboration – both synchronous and asynchronous.
Integration with tools like OneDrive, Word, PowerPoint, and Whiteboard for collaborative work.
Structured communication with students via chat, posts, and channel organization.
Students can hold online meetings in study groups with video, audio, and screen sharing.
ACCESS FOR STUDENTS | All students get access to Microsoft 365 when they are admitted to AU. They can access all M365-apps at https://m365.cloud.microsoft/?auth=2&home=1. |
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ACCESS FOR INSTRUCTORS | All AU staff have access to Microsoft365 via https://m365.cloud.microsoft/?auth=2&home=1. Many of the applications are also pre-installed on your AU computer. |
A "team" in Microsoft Teams functions as a digital learning space where teachers and students can collaborate and communicate. A team can be created for an entire course, a class, or a specific project.
Within each team, the teacher can create channels that serve as structured sub-areas for different topics, activities, or groups. This allows for organizing materials, discussions, and assignments.
Channels help provide structure and support both individual and group-based learning. Channels are always open and can be accessed at any time, unless they are set to private.
Once a channel has been made private, it cannot be changed back to public. A private channel can provide restricted access and increase confidentiality for a specific group of students. It can offer more focus and less noise, and allow students to work in small groups without the need to create entirely new teams.
The disadvantages of private channels are that they also reduce visibility and accessibility, can be harder to manage, and lack integration with certain apps and features.
Microsoft Teams is tightly integrated across 365, making it easy to work with familiar applications such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel directly within Teams. Teachers and students can open, edit, and collaborate on documents without leaving the Teams platform.
This means group work, feedback, and shared notes can be handled in real time, and all files are automatically saved in the team’s file structure.
A video call in Teams is a digital meeting space where students can meet and collaborate regardless of their location. It enables academic dialogue, group work, and joint preparation outside of formal teaching sessions.
During a video meeting, students can share their screen, use breakout rooms, chat, and interact through hand raising, reactions, and polls.
Teams supports both spontaneous and scheduled meetings and offers a flexible framework for study groups, project work, or peer feedback – both synchronously and asynchronously.
Teams supports both synchronous and asynchronous group work, allowing students to collaborate regardless of time and location. With group spaces (channels), shared document access, and chat features, groups can coordinate and work together in real time – for example, during a live session – or contribute continuously at their own pace.
The teacher can monitor the collaboration, provide feedback, and make materials and assignments available in the group’s channel. Teams creates flexible conditions for collaboration, supporting diverse working styles and needs.
