Microsoft Teams Best practices and Moodle Integration Guide

Introduction

This article focuses on integrating Teams with Moodle and best practices for using Teams Classes, ensuring a seamless experience while maintaining Moodle as the primary Learning Management System (LMS).

Automatic Teams Class Creation and Student Enrollment

To simplify the migration, TWU has automated the creation of Teams Classes for each Moodle course, establishing a one-to-one mapping between Moodle and Teams. Instructors must activate their Teams Class by logging into Teams, navigating to the “Teams” tab, and activating the relevant class. This step makes the class accessible to students. Students are automatically enrolled in their Teams Classes based on Moodle registrations, ensuring immediate access once the class is activated. Guides and training are available through the IT department to assist instructors.

Teams and Moodle Integration

A robust bidirectional integration between Moodle and Teams is essential for a cohesive user experience. This setup allows students to navigate seamlessly between platforms, accessing virtual classes and course materials efficiently. Below are the steps to achieve this integration:

Linking Teams to Moodle

Instructors should embed the Teams Class link on the Moodle course homepage to provide direct access. To do this:

1. Open the Teams Class in Microsoft Teams.
2. Copy the class link by clicking the “...” button or accessing the class settings.
3. Paste the link into a prominent location on the Moodle course homepage, such as a label or URL resource, with a clear title like “Join Teams Class.”

This ensures students can quickly join virtual sessions from Moodle, reducing navigation friction.

Linking Moodle to Teams

Instructors should also pin the Moodle course homepage link within the Teams Class for easy access to course materials. To do this:

1. Copy the Moodle link
2. Navigate to the “General” channel (or another relevant channel) in the Teams Class.
3. Click the “+” icon at the top of the channel to add a new tab.
4. Select the “Website” option, paste the Moodle course homepage URL, and name the tab clearly (e.g., “Moodle Course Homepage”).
5. Save the tab to make it accessible to all class members.

This bidirectional integration creates a streamlined workflow, allowing students to move effortlessly between Teams for collaboration and Moodle for course content.

Best Practices for Using Teams Classes

To optimize the use of Teams Classes, instructors should leverage Teams’ features for communication, organization, and scheduling while relying on Moodle for LMS functions. Below are key best practices:

1. Utilize Channels for Class Communication and Scheduling

Teams Channels are dedicated spaces within a Teams Class for specific purposes, such as discussions or resource sharing. We encourage instructors to create and use channels effectively:

• General Channel: Use for course announcements, deadlines, and updates.
• Discussion Channels: Create channels for class discussions or group activities to foster student engagement.
• Lesson-Specific Channels: Organize resources, discussions, or activities for individual lessons or topics.

Instructors can schedule virtual lessons within channels using Teams’ calendar feature. By setting up recurring or one-time meetings, instructors ensure students have clear access to class schedules. Channels keep communication structured and accessible, minimizing reliance on external tools like email.

2. Avoid Teams LMS Features

Microsoft Teams includes LMS features like Classwork, Assignments, and Grades, but we strongly discourage their use at TWU. Moodle remains the primary LMS for all course-related activities, including assignment submissions, grading, and content management. Using Teams’ LMS features could cause confusion and inconsistencies in course data. Instructors should manage all assignments, grades, and materials exclusively through Moodle to maintain a single, reliable source for academic records.

3. Encourage Active Participation

To enhance student engagement, instructors should encourage active use of Teams Channels for communication. For example:

• Post regular updates or prompts in channels to keep students informed and engaged.
• Use the “@mention” feature to notify specific students or groups about relevant discussions.
• Share resources like lecture slides or links directly in channels to centralize course materials (while storing primary content in Moodle).

By fostering an interactive environment, instructors can replicate the collaborative aspects of in-person classes within Teams.

Scheduling Recursive Meetings

Instructors can schedule recurring meetings in Teams to maintain a consistent class schedule. Follow these steps:

• Choose the General Channel: Navigate to the “General” channel in your Teams Class.

• Click the Down Arrow: Next to the “Meet now” button, click the down arrow to open the meeting options.

• Schedule a Meeting: Select “Schedule a meeting” from the dropdown menu.

• Put a Good Title: Enter a clear title, e.g., “LDRS 101 Weekly Session.”

• Choose the Period: Set the date and time (e.g., 11/06/2025, 12:00–12:30) and duration.

• Make it Recursive: Check the “Occurs every” option and set it to recur weekly (e.g., every Wednesday starting 11/06/2025).

• Make Sure It Sets the Correct Channel: Verify the meeting is assigned to the “General” channel.

• Send: Click “Send” to schedule the meeting and notify students.

• Pin the message: Pin the message so that it stays on the top of the channel.

This process ensures recurring class sessions are automatically set up and accessible to all enrolled students.

Copying Recurring Meeting Link to Moodle

For recurring meetings, the link remains the same for every session, simplifying integration with Moodle. Instructors can copy and paste this link to provide students with consistent access. Follow these steps:

• Join or Edit Meeting: In the Teams calendar or in your Teams Class Channel, locate the recurring meeting (e.g., “LDRS 101 Weekly Session”) and click “Join” or the three dots to select “Edit meeting details.”

• Copy the Link: Click “Copy link” to copy the meeting URL to the clipboard. This link applies to all instances of the recurring meeting.

• Paste in Moodle: Navigate to the Moodle course homepage, add a new label or URL resource, and paste the copied link with a descriptive title (e.g., “Join Weekly Teams Session”).

• Save Changes: Save the resource to make the link available to students across all recurring meeting dates.

This ensures students can join any session of the recurring meeting directly from Moodle, maintaining a seamless connection between the platforms.

Conclusion

By focusing on seamless Teams and Moodle integration and adopting best practices for Teams Classes, instructors can create an engaging and organized virtual learning environment. Automatic class creation and student enrollment simplify the process, while bidirectional links between Teams and Moodle enhance accessibility. Channels should be used for communication and scheduling, but Moodle must remain the primary LMS. With robust support from the IT department, TWU is well-positioned to make this migration a success, enhancing the teaching and learning experience for all.