Teams in Trinity term
Discover Loop and Town Halls as well as the latest useful features and developments
It’s Trinity term already! In this update we’ve included an introduction to Microsoft Loop, an update on the forthcoming closure of Teams live events and introduction of town hall events, as well as a few features and updates we think might be useful.
What is Microsoft Loop?
Microsoft Loop is a collaboration tool that works in various Office 365 services and apps. It even integrates with Chats and Channels in Microsoft Teams.
Based on ‘real time’ collaboration, Loop has many potential uses including drafting text, taking quick polls or even creating kanban-style project tracking with your colleagues. No matter which service or app you use to access a Loop workspace or component, your updates are immediately visible and ‘synced’ for your collaborators.
One early adopter of Loop at the University told us:
I like the fact that you can now use it in Teams channels rather than just chats. I create a Loop list of what needs doing and I can just edit it on the fly (as can others), so it's really useful for that!
Loop workspaces are now available for most University staff as part of our licensing agreement. There’s no need to ‘sign up’ for Loop, you can just use it when you want. More information about Loop can be found on Microsoft's website including this handy guide for sending a Loop component in a Teams channel.
Teams live events closing
Microsoft is discontinuing Teams live events on 30 September 2024 meaning that this service will no longer be available for use. But don't worry, other tools for holding large scale meetings will be available such as the new 'Town Hall' meeting type, and Webinars for a more signup-focused presentation experience. This Nexus365 User Group summary of 8 different types of meeting in Microsoft Teams may be useful.
What is a ‘town hall’ meeting?
'Town Hall' events are designed to replace live events for one-to-many (up to 10,000) where the presenters, organisers, and co-organisers lead the presentation and audience participation is primarily viewing and reacting to the content being shared. See Getting started with Town Hall meetings for guidance on using this new meeting type in Teams.
Teams features available now
We’ve gone through Microsoft’s Teams roadmap and discovered these things which we think you’ll find useful:
- Create custom group chat profile pictures – new static thumbnail images you can use in teams chats instead of your user profile picture. More information about how to personalise your group chat avatar is available from Microsoft.
- A simplified 'compose' box will make it easier to create and send messages in new Teams. Edit your message right from the compose box, or click on the plus button to choose from the extended menu of actions.
- New and updated meeting types will be available. This overview of meetings, webinars and town halls has more information about meeting types available in new Teams.
- When you send a Loop component, everyone in your chat will be able to edit it inline—and see changes instantly. Find out more about Loop workspaces and components within Teams chats and channels.
- Archive unused or redundant channels in Teams and ‘freeze’ chats and interactions in them.
Teams features rolling out soon
Other features that Microsoft plans to launch soon include:
- Teams Meetings set to auto-record will store the recording in the organiser’s OneDrive instead of the first person to join the meeting.
- Shortening meeting URLs feature will be made available.
- You will be able to save meeting content with collaborative annotations as Microsoft Whiteboards.
- New Planner App for Microsoft Teams and personal planner instances will be launched.
- Chat for organisers and presenters in Town Hall meetings will be available.
- There will be an option to hide the ‘General’ channel in Teams.
Finding Teams training and help
Lots of information about how to get Teams help, advice and training is available on the IT Help website, IT Learning Centre and the Centre for Teaching and Learning websites.
Any member of Oxford University can join the Nexus365 User Group to stay up to date with Teams news, tips, tricks, quick-start guides and more. The code is w2c7be7.
Did you know?
Microsoft Loop allows you to create Kanban Boards and Progress Trackers for quick sprint-like project purposes. See a video of the Kanban Board in action in Loop (opens in YouTube).
