Transforming Teaching with Teams

  Community of Practice for Instructors

Applications are now closed.

Beginning this fall 2022, select classrooms at Northeastern campuses in Boston, Oakland, Arlington, and Vancouver will provide a one-touch solution with an easy and intuitive audiovisual interface. As part of ongoing efforts to evolve the classroom technology experience to better meet instructors’ and students’ needs, these spaces have been upgraded to become a Global Learning Space, the new vision for a consistent teaching and learning experience across the university’s global campus system. 

As part of this initiative, up to 50 instructors will receive tablets, training, and support as a Community of Practice engaged in Teaching with Teams.  Participating instructors may request an Apple iPad Air, magic keyboard/case, and stylus. Both device selections come with training and on-demand support and consultation.  

This program is provided in partnership with Academic Technologies, the Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research (CATLR), and Digital University Solutions. Instructors who apply and are accepted to the CoP will collaborate at least monthly by sharing active learning and digital transformation in their courses. Upon successfully completing the semester CoP program requirements, instructors may keep the devices provided. 

Expected Benefits

• Whether classes are conducted with in-person or hybrid audiences, one-touch join reduces the friction of connecting a personal device to the room audio and video, allowing the instructor freedom of movement within the classroom.
• Modern microphone and camera configurations provide an ideal solution for classes with remote participants and for classroom recording.
• Innovative whiteboard capture technology provides a more inclusive experience for students with more viewing and reviewing options
• Teams Meetings’ enhanced classroom management features help instructors facilitate any kind of class.
• Larger classes benefit from additional depth of engagement through chat and reactions.
• Meeting and chat functions help instructors with remote participants more easily support connection between remote and in-person participants.
• Persistent meeting chats make reviewing and continuing conversations after class easy!
• For those instructors who prefer further engagement options, Team Class provides a platform for extending engagement beyond the classroom to keep the learning happening between class sessions.
• The technology in the classroom is based on Microsoft Teams meetings.
• Rooms will work with all webinar platforms, but using Teams to connect with remote users will yield the best experience.
• Teams Meeting and Teams Class are integrated into Canvas to make setting up Teams easy!
• Teams or Zoom would also facilitate wireless sharing (HDMI cable will be provided). 

Program Requirements

Participating instructors will engage in the following tasks and responsibilities that will build a community of tablet educators through this pilot. Hosted on Microsoft Teams, this community will be a forum for the sharing of best practices and program support from Academic Technologies, CATLR (Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research), and Digital University Solutions.

Program Timeline

Device Information

 The following device is part of the upcoming program.

Apple iPad Air

• Apple iPad Air 5th Gen – 10.9-inch – WiFi – 64GB – Space Gray
• Apple Pencil 2nd Generation Stylus
• Apple Magic Keyboard and Trackpad

Selection Criteria

The project committee will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:

• Pedagogical rationale for the classroom technology implementation.
• Potential benefits for student learning.
• Motivation for engaging in a Community of Practice to learn from these experiences.

Eligibility and Enrollment

This program is open to instructors teaching in updated Global Learning Spaces. Take the Readiness Survey to indicate your interest in joining the Community of Practice. After completing the Readiness Survey, you will be sent a link to submit your application for the Transforming Teaching with Teams Community of Practice.