Virtual Meeting Tools
You can conduct online meetings, presentations, webinars, tutoring and more by using virtual meeting and web conferencing tools. EFSC's preferred tool is Microsoft Teams. BigBlueButton Conferences in Canvas is an option, but is limited to 10 concurrent sessions collegewide. See below for details on both tools.
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a live web conferencing tool that is available both inside and outside of Canvas. Canvas Conferences (BigBlueButton) is the tool you may already be familiar with, but it has some limitations including only 10 concurrent sessions at a time and session recordings are only available for two weeks. Given these limitations, and with more and more classes going online, we recommend using MS Teams instead for real-time online conferencing.
MS Teams can be used in the browser but we recommend all faculty download and use
MS Teams through the desktop app for the best functionality.
NOTE: If you will be using the whiteboard feature, your students will also need to download and join with the Teams app in order to view the whiteboard.
Use the 'Microsoft Teams classes' course tab to see your class team.
Use the 'Microsoft Teams meetings' course tab to schedule meetings in a Canvas course.
Instructions for using the previous Microsoft Teams integration in Canvas to create meeting links - click on the small apps icon (power plug) in the editor toolbar and click 'View All' if needed to find Microsoft Teams.
Find more information, Teams webinar recordings, Teams update information and more by accessing the Microsoft Teams page in the Canvas Instructor Training course in.
When creating a new session inside of Canvas, a window (shown below) will pop up. Click the "Meeting options" link and change to allow only the instructor to present in the drop-down menu. Then you can copy and share the link in other areas of the course (calendar, pages, etc.).
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you by-pass this window or copy the link without changing the meeting options you can click the three dots (More options) on the participant panel after launching a live meeting session. The Meeting Options can also be found by clicking the three dots (more actions) in the toolbar after a live meeting has been launched.
Students also have access to Teams through their Office 365 Outlook package, which includes licensing for them to download and use online versions of Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneDrive (for cloud storage), and other applications.
If you plan on using the whiteboard during your sessions, your students should install the Microsoft Teams app on their home computer, laptop, tablet, and or cell phone for the best online experience.
You can refer your students to the Virtual Meeting Resources for Students page for instructions on installing the Teams app and other virtual meeting resources to help them get started.
Click this link for an editable Word document which includes step-by-step instructions to share with your students in your Canvas classroom.
Conferences in Canvas (BigBlueButton)
You will find the Conferences link in the left menu in each of your Canvas courses. Use the links below to learn how to use BigBlueButton Conferences to connect with students, group members, committee members and more (all participants will need to have an EFSC Canvas login). Remember, BigBlueButton Conferences has some limitations including only 10 concurrent sessions at a time and session recordings are only available for two weeks. Given these limitations, and with more classes going online, we recommend using MS Teams instead for real-time online conferencing.