Microsoft Teams provides online spaces for meetings, communication and collaboration. At UWE Bristol, it can support live online teaching, tutorials, group work and communication between sessions. UWE’s Blackboard integration can create a Class Team linked to a module.
Using Teams for teaching and learning
- Run live online sessions: teach, demonstrate, discuss and share content with students.
- Support tutorials and meetings: meet individuals or groups online.
- Enable group work: use channels and shared files for students to plan and collaborate.
- Continue discussion: provide a space for questions and communication between scheduled sessions.
- Work on shared resources: have students create, share and work together on files.
- Connect with Blackboard: use a Class Team linked to a module where meetings or collaborative work support the learning design.
Use Blackboard Ultra as the primary location for structured module content, learning resources and assessment information. Use Teams where meetings, communication or collaborative work add value to the activity. Make clear to students where they should find authoritative module information and assessment instructions.
Key features
- Online meetings: video, audio, screen sharing, chat and presentations.
- Channels: organise communication and activities around topics or groups.
- Shared files: create and work together on documents.
- Breakout rooms: divide an online session into smaller groups.
- Class Teams: provide a teaching space linked to a Blackboard module.
Get started
Open Microsoft Teams with your UWE Bristol account.
Follow UWE’s Microsoft Teams for Teaching guide for help setting up and managing a Class Team.
Before setting a Class Team up, make sure the Blackboard module is available to students and decide how Teams will support the planned learning activity.
Support
The Microsoft Teams for Teaching guide explains the UWE teaching and Blackboard integration. The guide also explains how to join the UWE Teams User Community to ask questions and share ideas.
Students can visit UWE’s Using Teams with Blackboard guidance to see how to access Class Teams and upcoming meetings.
Contact the Digital Learning Team for teaching advice, or IT Services for technical or access problems. For further development, see Microsoft’s Educator Programme and UWE’s LinkedIn Learning access page.
Good to know
Check Class Team membership when enrolments or staff attachments change. New Blackboard members are added to the Team, but people removed from the Blackboard module may not be removed automatically. Review membership in line with the UWE guidance.