Using Teams with Blackboard

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students at orientation

Teams and Blackboard

Blackboard's Teams integration tool allows you to create a Team for your course, which is automatically populated with the students enrolled. Teams and Blackboard complement each other to enrich the learning experience.

NOTE: Currently this Teams integration is only available in Blackboard Ultra. The Teams Meetings tool is still available in Blackboard Original. 

Linking Teams in Blackboard WSU Microsoft Teams Training
Community of Inquiry Model

"...learning awakens a variety of internal developmental processes that are able to operate only when the [student] is interacting with people in his environment and in cooperation with his peers."

Lev Vygostky, Zone of Proximal Development

Why should I use Teams in my Blackboard course?

According to D.R. Garrison's Community of Inquiry Framework, three independent elements are involved in creating deep and meaningful learning experiences: social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence.    

Teams supports Social Presence, which is "the ability of Participants to identify with the community, communicate purposefully in a trusting environment, and develop interpersonal relationships by way of projecting their individual personalities." Social Presence must be developed before Cognitive Presence and Teaching Presence can occur. 

  • It facilitates community building
  • It fosters group work and collaboration
  • It connects students and instructors in real time
Teams vs. Blackboard

At this time assessments, submission of assignments, and grading should be done in Blackboard. While tools to complete these tasks exist in Teams, the current integration with Blackboard does not include communication regarding these items. 

Blackboard works best for online activites that are sequential and asynchronous. 

Teams works best for online activities that are continuous and synchronous.

Blackboard should be used for:

  • Teaching Materials
  • Reading Lists
  • Assessment activities and realted information
  • Summative assignments and submissions
  • Grades and feedback
  • Quizzes and tests
  • Links to Teams spaces

Teams can be used for:

  • Whole class or group meetings (synchronous teaching)
  • Group work or group projects (facilitated through public or private channels)
  • Socialization and community building (continuous discussion on General channel or course home page)
  • Group activities
  • Student presentations
  • Co-creation of Office 365 documents
  • Mentoring, tutoring, office hours, one-on-one or group meetings
Community Building

 In Teams, you can foster a social environment for your students that can help them stay engaged and build their motivation and enthusiasm. 

  • Posts can include images, memes, attachments, and links as well as likes in response to messages.
  • Posts can be flagged as important, or as announcements.
  • Channels provide opportunities for multiple discussions and interactions, and can be organized any way you want: by group members, by topic, by unit.
  • A collaborative space in the Class Notebook allows students to share ideas.
  • If your course does not involve Group work, channels can encourage study groups or peer-based meetings and provide a space for students to connect with one another in smaller groups. 
Group Work and Collaboration

Teams is specifically designed for collaboration and group working.

  • Through chat and meetings, students and instructors can engage in synchronous, continuous communication. Group work benefits further from the collaborative use of Office 365 documents like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. 
  • Channels allow students to chat, share files, and meet live through a scheduled meeting or the Meet Now option.
Real Time Connection

Blackboard allows you to schedule and access Teams meetings inside your course. 

With Teams meetings, you can:

  • Share files, websites, and screen views
  • Share video and audio
  • Create interactive learning experiences (using chat, quizzes, polls)
  • Present in PowerPoint
  • Use breakout rooms

Teams allows you to schedule meetings ahead of time or use the "Meet Now" feature to conference with the class, a small group, or an individual student. 

Additional Resources

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