Integrating Microsoft Teams Meetings with your Blackboard Ultra course provides a seamless way to schedule and manage virtual meetings directly within your course environment. This integration streamlines the process of creating online meetings for your students while maintaining all your course materials in one central location.

Set up the Microsoft Education Integration

Your first step is to configure the Microsoft Education integration to include the tools you want to use. 

1. On the Details & Actions pane to the right of your course, click Open Microsoft Education 

Schedule a Teams Meeting

1. Click OpenMicrosoft Education tools on the Details and Actions pane on the right side of your course
2. Click Teams Meetings
3. Click the New Meeting button
4. Add a title (this will appear in the scheduler and on your Outlook/Teams calendar) 
5. Click the Allow anyone in the course to joincheckbox - this allows students to join the meeting via the Teams Meeting integration
   
   OR
   
   Add individual students (for a meeting with some but not all students) or click Add entire class - this sends them a calendar invite to the link via email, adds it to their Outlook and Teams calendars, and allows them to access the meeting via the Teams Meetings integration
6. Set a meeting date and time
7. Click the Savebutton

Scheduled sessions will appear on the Upcoming tab. You and students can join the meeting by clicking the Join button.

Once the meeting has been scheduled, you will see the meeting on your Outlook and Teams calendars outside of Blackboard. You can also join from the calendars. You can also edit the meeting from Outlook or Teams to change the session settings, invite outside guests, or copy the meeting link to share with students.

Inviting Students to your Teams Meeting

There are several methods you can use to share Teams Meetings with students:

First Method:

1. Students can access your Teams Meetings by going to Open Microsoft Education on the Details and Actions pane on the right side of your course
2. Click on Teams Meetings
3. Click Join next to the session they wish to join

Second Method:

1. Open your Outlook calendar and locate the newly created meeting
2. Copy the meeting link from the calendar entry
3. Share this link with your students as needed
   • Add it to an announcement
   • Add it to your course > + > Create > Link
   • Add it to the Calendar in the course (Calendar on the top bar > + > Add event)

Attendance

Faculty can see Attendance of students who have attended their Teams meeting sessions by going to Microsoft Education > Teams > Attendance.

Recordings

If you record your Meeting, the recording will be placed in your OneDrive storage, in the Recordings folder. You will need to manually retrieve the link to the recording from OneDrive and then post it in your Blackboard course.

Important Note

Coming Soon: Blackboard is working on enhanced functionality that will allow you to copy meeting links directly within Blackboard or place deep links within your course content. This feature is not yet available but will further streamline the process once implemented.

This integration helps maintain consistency in your course delivery while leveraging the robust meeting capabilities of Microsoft Teams.

Integrating Microsoft Teams with your Blackboard Ultra course creates a dedicated team instance that syncs with your course roster, providing a comprehensive collaborative workspace for your students. This integration establishes a complete Teams environment outside of Blackboard while maintaining connection to your course enrollment.

Set up the Microsoft Education Integration

Your first step is to configure the Microsoft Education integration to include the tools you want to use. 

1. On the Details & Actions pane to the right of your course, click Enable Microsoft Education. This may take a few minutes to set up.
2. Click Open Microsoft Education on the Details and Actions pane on the right side of your course.
3. Click Open on the Course Team (in the lower-right corner of the team box).
4. Students will not be able to access the Team until you activate it. In the Teams window, click Activate on the right side.

Student Access to Microsoft Education 

1. Students can access your Teams Meetings by going to Open Microsoft Education on the Details and Actions pane on the right side of your course
2. Click on Teams
3. Click Open on the Course Team (in the lower-right corner of the team box).
4. Students can start engaging in the chat and other things you have in your class Team once you have activated it.

Important Note

This Teams integration creates a complete collaborative environment separate from Blackboard while maintaining roster synchronization. Students will have access to all Teams features including chat, file sharing, collaborative documents, and meeting capabilities within the dedicated team space.

This integration provides a comprehensive collaborative platform while maintaining seamless connection to your Blackboard Ultra course enrollment.

OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud storage service that allows you to store, access, and share files from anywhere. In the educational context, OneDrive integrates with Blackboard to provide seamless file management and collaboration capabilities. Faculty can store course materials, share resources with students, and enable collaborative document editing—all while maintaining the security and organization of their Blackboard course.

There are two use cases for OneDrive files:

• Share files editable by the Instructor only
• Share files for collaboration as a class or groups

How to Deploy OneDrive (instructor only files) in Blackboard:

1. On the Details and Actions pane on the right side of your course, click on Microsoft Education > OneDrive
2. Browse and find the file you wish to share with your class, then select it.
3. Click Copy link
4. Exit Microsoft Education and go back into your course
5. Navigate to the content area where you want the file
6. Click + > Create > Link and paste in the URL.

Microsoft Education Collaboration tools enable real-time, simultaneous editing and sharing of documents between faculty and students. The full capabilities of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, are now available within the LMS experience for collaborative documents. Students and faculty can work together on the same document in real-time, whether creating new content or editing existing OneDrive documents. These tools serve as versatile replacements for traditional collaborative platforms, supporting use cases such as collaborative wikis for course knowledge bases, shared sign-up sheets for presentations or office hours, group project development, peer review workflows, real-time brainstorming sessions, collaborative note-taking during lectures, shared research data collection and analysis, co-authored lab reports, joint presentation creation, meeting minutes for student organizations, collaborative study guide development, and portfolio building with instructor feedback and guidance.

1. In your course go into the Content location within which you want students to collaborate on a document, then click + > Content Market from the Tools menu.
2. Click on Microsoft Education Collaboration
3. Choose to either create blank Word, Excel or PowerPoint document or click Select Existing Document to Browse and find the file you wish to share with your class, then select it.
4. If you are creating a new document, give it a Document Name.
5. Inputting a Description is optional.
6. When done, click Create.

The OneDrive Assignment Tool in Blackboard allows faculty to create assignments using OneDrive files as the foundation. Students receive a personal copy of the file you select (whether it's a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, Excel spreadsheet, or other Office file) to complete their assignment. This tool is perfect for creating assignments where students need to edit, annotate, or build upon a template or starting document that you provide.

How to Deploy a OneDrive Assignment:

Step 1: Access OneDrive Integration

1. Navigate to your Blackboard course
2. Go to the Content area where you want to add OneDrive content (e.g. Learning Module, Folder, etc.)
3. Select Build Content or the + button
4. Choose Content Market from the dropdown menu
5. Find and select Microsoft Education Assignment

Step 2: Connect Your Account

1. Sign in with your institutional Microsoft 365 credentials
2. Grant necessary permissions when prompted
3. Your OneDrive will now be accessible within Blackboard

Step 3: Add Content

1. Choose Select OneDrive file (alternatively, you can create a new Word, Excel, or PowerPoint document here)
2. Browse your OneDrive files directly within Blackboard
3. Select files to share with students
4. Click the Create Assignment
5. Give the Assignment a Name (required)
6. Add your Assignment Directions, Points and Availability Dates (optional), then click Create Assignment.
7. Blackboard will then proceed with uploading and putting your assignment into the content area of your choice.
8. To edit the assignment details, click the … to the right of the assignment > Edit.

Here you can change the Due Date/Time, Points, Category, Visibility, and mark it Formative if you choose.

Faculty Tip:

This works excellently for assignments like essay templates with writing prompts, lab report templates, presentation outlines, or any document where students need to build upon your starting framework. Students get full editing capabilities while you maintain the original template.

Case Example:

In CS110 (Introduction to Computer Science), Professor Smith wants students to practice Excel formulas and data analysis. She creates an Excel spreadsheet with:

• Sample data in columns A-D (student names, test scores, homework grades)
• Empty cells in column E where students must create formulas to calculate averages
• Empty cells in column F for letter grade calculations based on the averages
• Instructions at the top explaining the required formulas

Using the OneDrive Assignment Tool:

1. Professor Smith creates a new assignment called "Excel Grade Calculator"
2. She uploads her template Excel file through the OneDrive integration
3. When students access the assignment, each receives their own copy of the spreadsheet
4. Students complete the formulas and calculations in their personal copy
5. Students submit their completed Excel file back through Blackboard
6. Professor Smith can download all submissions or grade them directly in OneDrive, seeing each student's individual work

This ensures every student starts with the same data and instructions, but completes their own independent work that can be easily graded and compared.

OneNote Class Notebook is a digital notebook application designed specifically for education. It creates three distinct spaces: a Content Library (where teachers place read-only materials), a Collaboration Space (where the entire class can share and work together), and individual Student Notebooks (private spaces for each student that only they and the teacher can access). When integrated with Blackboard, Class Notebook automatically enrolls all students from your course roster, eliminating the need to manually add students.

How to Deploy Class Notebook in Blackboard:

1. In your course, click on Open Microsoft Education on the Details and Actions pane on the right side of your course.
2. Choose Class Notebook
3. Click Set up a OneNote Class Notebook
4. Click Next

Configure Student Sections

1. Choose which default sections to include in student notebooks:
   • Handouts
   • Assignments
   • Notes
   • Quiz and Tests (or create custom sections)
2. Preview your setup and click Create

Access and Share

Both students and faculty can access the Class Notebook in the same way.

1. In your course, click Open Microsoft Education on the Details and Actions pane on the right side of your course.
2. Click on the OneNote Class Notebook to access it.

Faculty Tip:

Use the Content Library for sharing lecture notes and resources, the Collaboration Space for group projects and class discussions, and individual student sections for personalized feedback and private assignments.

Case Example:

Professor Johnson teaches ENG 201 (Advanced Composition) with 28 students and uses Class Notebook to organize all course activities:

Content Library (Read-Only for Students):

• Weekly lecture slides and handouts
• Writing style guides and grammar resources
• Sample essays and writing examples
• Assignment rubrics and formatting guidelines

Collaboration Space (Everyone Can Edit):

• "Peer Review Workshop" section where students post draft essays for classmate feedback
• "Discussion Board" for ongoing conversations about readings
• "Group Project Planning" area where student teams collaborate on their semester research projects
• "Resource Sharing" where students can share helpful writing tools and articles they find

Individual Student Notebooks (Private Between Student and Teacher):

• "Writing Portfolio" section where each student builds their collection of polished essays
• "Personal Reflections" area for private journaling and self-assessment
• "Teacher Feedback" section where Professor Johnson provides detailed, private comments on drafts
• "Goal Setting" space for individual writing improvement plans

In Practice:

When students access the Class Notebook link in Blackboard, they immediately see all shared materials in the Content Library, can collaborate with peers in the Collaboration Space, and have their own private workspace for individual assignments. Professor Johnson can provide personalized feedback to each student privately while also facilitating class-wide discussions and peer collaboration—all in one organized digital space that automatically syncs with the Blackboard course roster.

The Assignments and Grades features in the Microsoft Education tool in Blackboard allow educators to assign tasks, work, or quizzes to their students. Educators can manage assignment timelines, instructions, add resources to turn in, grade with rubrics, and more.  Faculty can also select Learning Accelerators to add Reading Progress, Search Progress and other Learning Accelerators to the Assignment or integrate OneDrive files (see OneDrive Assignment Tool).

Key Integration Benefits:

Multi-Class Publishing: With Duplicate, you can copy the assignment to another class. With Copy Link, you can get a direct link to the assignment and share it over chat, email, or any other platform you use to communicate with your students. Attachments for an assignment in Microsoft Teams for Education - Microsoft Support

AI-Enhanced Features: AI instructions for educators are designed to streamline assignment creation and editing to offer options to add more details, increase inclusivity, and engage young readers.

Time-Saving Tools: With new multi-class assignment options, you can quickly make one or more changes and publish to all your classes in one action, saving you time and streamlining the management of your assignment timelines.

Adding a Microsoft Assignment to your course

1. Go into the content area where you wish to place your assignment.
2. Click the + > Content Market > Microsoft Education Assignment
3. Click on Assignment (if you choose to use any of the accelerators, you can alternatively click on them there instead, or add them after clicking on Assignment).
4. Set up your assignment details as you wish.
   1. Add the Title
   2. Add a Description – you can use the AI tools to enhance your directions once you begin typing into the Instructions box.
   3. You can attach files.
   4. Clicking the New button allows you to add a blank Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Class Notebook page and a Flip Video Recording.
   5. Add your assignment settings such as due date/time, rubric and points possible.
   6. You can also add Learning Accelerators to your assignment (see the Learning Accelerators section for details).
5. When done, click Save.
6. Your assignment will now appear in your content area and a gradebook item will be created. You can edit the assignment by clicking the … to the right of it > Edit.  Here in the right pane, you can change the visibility, due date/time, points, and category, plus a short description.
7. To edit in more detail the assignment, click on the assignment itself and then click the … in the upper-right corner and click Edit assignment.

Microsoft Learning Accelerators are tools that streamline the creation, review, and analysis of practice assignments, offering students real-time coaching to help them progress. These tools support Introduction to foundational and future-ready skills acquisition, enabling educators to provide differentiated learning activities and instant feedback, while also fostering improvement in an inclusive environment.

Learning Accelerators cover two core areas, foundational and future-ready skills. Foundational skills include reading, numeracy, and emotional well-being. Future-ready skills include digital literacy (search) and presentation (speaking). Introduction to Learning Accelerators - Training | Microsoft Learn

Each tool type includes both Coach and Progress components:

• Coach tools: Provide students real-time mentoring and opportunities for self-directed learning Upskill Your Workforce with Microsoft Training | Microsoft Learn
• Progress tools: Designed to help teachers personalize assignments, feedback and instruction, assisted by actionable insights Upskill Your Workforce with Microsoft Training | Microsoft Learn

Reading Tools (Reading Coach & Reading Progress)

Reading Coach and Immersive Reader help students take responsibility for their own learning with gentle guidance through pronunciation, syllabification, reading speed, and vocabulary recall. Introduction to Learning Accelerators - Training | Microsoft Learn Reading Progress is a free tool built into Microsoft Teams designed to support and track reading fluency in your class. Students record their reading on camera and submit it to you. Learning Accelerators for Microsoft Teams Education - Microsoft Support

Key Features

• Reading Coach: Real-time pronunciation guidance, syllable support, and vocabulary assistance
• Reading Progress: Students record their reading on camera and submit it to you. As you mark and return their work, data is automatically collected and organized in Insights, helping you spend more time with students and less time analyzing data. Learning Accelerators for Microsoft Teams Education - Microsoft Support

Faculty Benefits

• Automatic analysis of reading errors, accuracy rates, and words per minute
• Personalized feedback for individual students
• Time-saving assignment creation and review process
• Data-driven insights to inform reading instruction

Math Tools (Math Progress)

Math Progress assists in streamlining assignment creation, simplifying lesson planning, and gathering student performance insights, helping educators save time and accelerate learning outcomes. Introduction to Learning Accelerators - Training | Microsoft Learn Math Progress is a feature that enables the speedy creation of both multiple choice and short answer quiz questions appropriate for K - 12 students. Learning Accelerators for Microsoft Teams Education - Microsoft Support

Key Features

• Quick creation of math assignments and homework
• Multiple choice and short answer question formats
• Automated grading and feedback
• Performance analytics to identify challenging concepts

Faculty Benefits

• Streamlined assignment creation process
• Instant insights into which math concepts challenge students most
• Personalized support recommendations based on student performance
• Time saved on grading and analysis

Search Tools (Search Coach & Search Progress)

Search Coach helps students learn how to form effective search queries, find trusted sites and think critically about their results in an ad-free environment. Introduction to Learning Accelerators - Training | Microsoft Learn Search Coach is designed to teach students how to compose efficient search queries and evaluate their results. Learning Accelerators for Microsoft Teams Education - Microsoft Support

Key Features

• Search Coach: Real-time guidance on effective search strategies
• Search Progress: Teacher insights into student search behaviors and information literacy development
• Filters for the category, type, and posting date of the information, which means that work is always up-to-date, secure, and reliable The Beacon: How to boost learning with Learning Accelerators | Microsoft Education Blog
• Integration with NewsGuard for source credibility verification

Faculty Benefits

• Track the development of information literacy skills and create a window into students' search activity and behaviors What Are Microsoft's New Learning Accelerators? – TCEA TechNotes Blog
• Help students distinguish fact from opinion
• Monitor how students evaluate digital sources
• Support critical thinking about online information

Speaking Tools (Speaker Coach & Speaker Progress)

Speaker Coach evaluates students' public speaking performances and gives personalized feedback on details like pitch, use of filler words, and pacing without the stress of an audience using the real-time tool. Learning Accelerators | Microsoft Education Speaker Progress can help students overcome their fear of public speaking and become more confident, captivating, and competent speakers. Learning Accelerators for Microsoft Teams Education - Microsoft Support

Key Features

• Speaker Coach: Real-time feedback on pitch, pacing, filler words, and presentation skills
• Speaker Progress: Monitor data on student public speaking skills with analytics from Speaker Coach. Track how presentation skills are improving at the individual, class, grade, and school levels Learning Accelerators | Microsoft Education
• Practice opportunities without audience pressure
• Integration with Teams meetings and PowerPoint presentations

Faculty Benefits

• Objective assessment of presentation skills
• Detailed analytics on student progress over time
• Reduced time spent on manual presentation evaluation
• Support for building students' confidence in public speaking