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Microsoft Teams for online meetings

A person has a video call

Find out everything you need to know about online meetings.

 

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Online meetings are also called virtual meetings, virtual lectures or webinars. They enable participants in different locations to use their mobile or internet connected devices to meet and collaborate together in a ‘virtual’ room.

Your University timetabled online lectures take place in Microsoft Teams, and you can access them via the Microsoft Teams link provided in your Blackboard module areas. Microsoft Teams makes it easy to meet online with your tutors, and to share/present files during an online meeting as a piece of assessed work.

You can use Teams by signing in to your University of Salford Microsoft 365 on your web browser, installing it to your computer/laptop, and downloading its excellent mobile app.

It's easy as 123

1.

Join

2.

Set up

3.

Take part

Join an online meeting

You will need a microphone and speakers or earphones to communicate. They can be built in or connected to your computer/laptop.

  1. Open Teams via office.com or your Teams desktop icon (if installed) and select 'Calendar'.
  2. Find and open the scheduled meeting.
  3. Select the 'Join Microsoft Teams Meeting' link or 'Join' button.
  4. Switch on your audio and the camera as required; you can also do this within the meeting.
  5. Select 'Join now' to enter the meeting.
  6. To leave the meeting, select the 'Leave' icon.

Tip: Teams invites automatically appear in your Microsoft 365 email account, so you can also join a scheduled meeting via an email invite or your Calendar.

Inside a meeting

Enhance your online meeting, workshop or lecture by using a range of tools. Here are some of them:

  • ‘Chat’ - allows you to ask questions and share comments and information that can be seen by everyone in the meeting. Your lectures/workshops may offer a Q&A tool where you can post your questions and use the Chat tools for comments or accessing shared web links and files.
  • ‘Raise’ - can be used to attract the attention of the speaker.
  • ‘Video effects and settings’ - allows you to blur your background/display a background scene when your camera is switched on.
  • ‘Live captions’ - captures what is said in real time on your screen.

When meeting presenters use a tool called PowerPoint live you will be able to use other accessibility options, such as magnifying slide content, and translating slide content into a different language. 

Share your screen

The screen share icon on Microsoft Teams

You can show your desktop, a specific application, or an application file while in a meeting.

  1. From the meeting control bar, select 'Share'.
  2. Select what you want to share:
    • 'Desktop' - lets you share everything on your screen. Choose this option if you want the flexibility of being able to move between multiple applications. For a seamless presentation, close any unnecessary applications before joining the meeting.
    • 'Window' - lets you share a specific application. Open the required application/window before joining the meeting so that it is listed as an option.
    • 'PowerPoint Live' - if delivering a PowerPoint presentation, choose this dedicated PowerPoint option as it offers enhanced features. Locate your presentation under the 'PowerPoint Live' heading. If the file is not listed, select the 'Browse' link to find it on OneDrive or your device. Your audience will view your presentation as if in Slide Show mode. 
    • 'Whiteboard' - lets you write, sketch, and collaborate with meeting participants in a visual way.
  3. After you select what you want to share, a red border surrounds what you're sharing.
  4. Select 'Stop sharing/presenting' to stop sharing your screen and return to the meeting window.

Share a PowerPoint file

Need to share a PowerPoint presentation or an academic poster as a piece of assessed work?

  1. Join the scheduled meeting via Teams.
  2. From the Meeting control bar, click the 'Share' button.
  3. Locate your presentation under the 'PowerPoint Live' category. If you cannot see the file you need, select the 'Browse' link to find it on your device.
  4. Click on the file to start sharing the PowerPoint file.
  5. The file will open in seamlessly in viewer mode, ready for your audience.
  6. As presenter, you are now in control. Use the forward/back controls to move through your slides, and you have the option of preventing others from moving through your slides ahead of you.
  7. Select the 'Stop presenting' button to stop sharing your presentation/poster and return to the meeting screen.

Tip: Perfect a professional presentation by creating a mock presentation and practice joining Teams meetings and sharing files with some course mates.

The Teams Mobile App

A person holds a mobile phone showing the Teams logo

The Teams mobile app is great tool for when you're on the move. It is ideal for checking and responding to team posts, using Chat, accessing files, and attending informal online meetings.

It is not recommended for delivering something as important as an online presentation assessment.

  • Install the Microsoft Teams App via the app store on your mobile device.
  • At the Sign in prompt select 'Work or school' as the account type, and enter your University of Salford email address and password.

Find out more about Teams

Watch the ‘Microsoft Teams Essential Training’ course

Guidance for engaging with online learning

To help you get the most from your studies, the University has produced Online Learning Guidance outlining how you are expected to engage with and conduct yourself in an online learning setting.