What purpose does the Microsoft Teams widget serve?

A significant number of universities, colleges, and organisations are already using the Microsoft Teams application for collaborative purposes, and so OpenLearning has released the Microsoft Teams Meeting widget which allows educators to engage with their learners in live audio/video meetings via the Microsoft Teams application.

This widget enables Course Creator/Administrators, facilitators, and learners with an Active Microsoft Teams license, to schedule live audio/video meetings; and it enables learners themselves to participate in multimedia equipped meetings with fellow learners from within an OpenLearning course.

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How do I add a Microsoft Teams widget to a course page?

Step 1

On your preferred course page, click on the Edit button to go into Edit mode.

 

Step 2

Go to the Widget toolbar and click on the dropdown arrow.

   

Step 3

Select 'Beta' from the Widget category dropdown.

 

Step 4

Drag the Microsoft Teams widget icon onto your page as with any other widget.  

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How do I configure my Microsoft Teams widget?

Upon adding the widget to the page, the user will see the below empty state:

To continue with the Microsoft Teams meeting widget setup:

Step 1

Go to the Setup tab, and click on the “Add new meeting” button.

Step 2

As the Course Administrator, input/provide the following details:

• The meeting name/topic
• A brief description of the agenda

Step 3

Put a checkmark on 'Allow learners to schedule the meeting' (optional)

Note: If the above option is not checked, only the Course Administrators and Facilitators will have the option to schedule or reschedule meetings.

Step 4

Click on Save & Insert

Once the setup/configuration is complete, you will see the 'Setup Complete' message as shown below;

 

and the widget will automatically redirect to the Microsoft Teams meeting widget's main view/tab.

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Reusing Microsoft Teams meetings once configured

Note: The same Microsoft Teams meeting can be deployed by a Course Administrator across multiple pages in the same course if needed be.

Step 1

Go to your preferred course page.

Step 2

Follow the step(s) outlined in 'How do I add a Microsoft Teams widget to a course page?'

Step 3

Click on the Microsoft Teams Meeting Setup tab, and find the existing Meeting you wish to add from the Meeting listing table.

Step 4

Click the Insert button under Actions beside your selected Meeting name.

Once the above steps are done, the widget will automatically redirect to the widget's main view which shows the Schedule meeting button.

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Usage of the configured Microsoft Teams widget (Learner view)

The Microsoft Teams widget presents users with the Class that the meeting is for (this is done automatically based on the Class the learner is enrolled in), along with the Meeting name and the Meeting description provided by the Course Administrator.

The Schedule meeting button will be visible to Course Administrators and facilitators (and learners - if the widget author has so permitted) when there is no meeting scheduled.

To Schedule a Meeting, follow the steps below:

Step 1

Click the 'Schedule meeting' button → this will open up a pop-up box where the Meeting Scheduler will be taken through the Microsoft Teams app’s meeting scheduling process.*

*Note: The user will be required to sign into their MS Teams account to complete this part.

Step 2

Click on Sign in

Step 3

Enter the Username and Password of your Microsoft Account that has an active Microsoft Teams license.

Step 4

Once you have successfully logged in with your Microsoft account, you will be asked to enter a Start / End date and time for the meeting. 

The meeting name provided when configuring the Microsoft Teams widget will be pre-populated here but can be edited if desired.

Step 5

Once the information has been entered, click 'Create'. 

Once a Meeting has Been Scheduled

For all parties viewing the widget, the below information is presented:

1. Date and time of the scheduled meeting
2. The organiser of the meeting (with a link to their profile) → This lets users contact the meeting organiser if so desired.

 

A 'Join meeting' button is provided to enable users (learners, facilitators) to join the relevant Microsoft Teams meeting in progress at the scheduled date and time.*

If it will be your first time joining a Microsoft Teams meeting, you will be presented with the below options.

*Note: Unless already logged in, the user will be required to sign into their MS Teams account to complete this part.

Rescheduling a Meeting

For the Course Creator/Administrators and facilitators (and learners, if the widget author has so permitted), a button to 'Reschedule meeting' is also available.

This button opens the same pop-up box where they are taken through the MS Teams app’s meeting rescheduling process.