Frequently Asked Questions

Microsoft Teams is a chat-based workspace that features persistent conversations. Within each team, users can create different channels to organize communications by topic. Teams let participants access files, have conversations and schedule voice and video meetings — all in one place.

Students, faculty and staff use Microsoft Teams for online synchronous (live) class sessions and meetings. Learn more about Microsoft Teams.

Follow these steps to join an online class session or meeting in Microsoft Teams.

See these tips for attendees, introducing the Microsoft Teams meeting controls and how to use them.

See who is attending the meeting by clicking or tapping the Participants icon in the Teams meeting controls. A column appears showing you meeting participants,

No, the Teams site is not required to offer online class sessions.

• For Teams site owners and members: Create the online meeting from a Teams site using a channel
• For any student, faculty or staff member: Create the online meeting from your calendar

The Teams desktop software is recommended for Teams, but some web browsers can work. See Microsoft's web client support page. Note that the Microsoft Teams web app no longer supports Internet Explorer 11 after Nov. 30, 2020.

As of Spring 2021, IT Services automatically creates Teams class sites. If you have questions about Teams site creation for courses, please contact the IT Services Help Desk.

IMPORTANT FOR INSTRUCTORS: Before creating your own Teams site for a course, please note that you would need to manually enter all the members into the Teams site. For example, if the Teams site is for a class section, you would need to manually add each student to the Teams site. 

To make your own Teams site, see these instructions for creating a Team (that is, a Teams site). When IT Services creates Teams sites, the Other option is selected..

See these instructions offering several ways to inform students about the "Join Microsoft Teams Meeting" link for online class sessions.

While the D2L learning management system may cover most course materials and online class interactions, some course resources can appear in Microsoft Teams. To view them, launch Microsoft Teams. The main Teams screen will display your Teams course sites in list view.

Or your Teams course sites will appear as tiles in grid view.

To change your Teams layout view from list to grid or grid to list, see this "View and organize your teams" Microsoft Support article. 

See methods for sharing your PowerPoint and other content in a Teams meeting.

Class sections that are officially combined within CheckMarq will generate a combined Teams site. Class sections that are combined in D2L, using the Combine D2L Course Sites request form, will generate separate Teams sites per section. Instructors can move students from separate Teams sites into a single Teams site. But note that automatic enrollment updates will only continue for original members of the single Teams site. Additions or drops would no longer be automated for manually-moved students in the single Teams site.

Watch this video (for Marquette users only) to see how to add a poll, survey or Microsoft Form into the meeting chat.

Different features appear in Microsoft Teams, depending on your Teams account. In the left navigation bar for Teams, students see both the Chat and Calls icons, but instructors do not. Find out why.

Yes, Teams mobile apps can use your device's camera(s). Download the Teams app for iOS or the Teams app for Android.

Enrolled students retain access to Teams course sites until four weeks after the term ends.

A stylus that is compatible with your touch-surface device’s operating system can work with Microsoft Teams. But note that you would need to use the “Open in desktop app” option from Teams to use the stylus on documents. And writing/drawing on a shared screen in a Teams meeting (unless using Whiteboard) is not currently supported.

Other attendees see the non-mirrored view of your camera feed, including any text on whiteboards or physical documents. Only you see your Teams camera view as if you are looking in a mirror. If you prefer, you can unmirror your video feed.