Wooclap and MS Teams: facilitating distance teaching

Distance learning is likely to become a permanent part of many universities’ teaching strategies, after they have had to adopt it to face the pandemic. Microsoft Teams is one of the most popular platforms institutions have used to teach remotely, which is why we have been working on a new and improved integration of Wooclap with Microsoft Teams. Its purpose? To enable you to use Wooclap and Microsoft Teams simultaneously without having to juggle both platforms.

This integration addresses two key needs teachers have - and will continue to have - while practicing distance teaching: digital tools must be integrated seamlessly into the teachers’ ecosystem, and teachers must be able to keep interacting with their students from a distance.

Wooclap and Microsoft Teams in a single place

If teachers are to use digital tools to adapt to new teaching models like blended and hybrid learning, these tools must be able to integrate with each other seamlessly. Teaching remotely is difficult enough without having to juggle several different platforms!

That is why we strive to create simple tools that integrate with teachers’ ecosystems (Learning Management Systems, VLEs, presentation tools, etc.) to make them easier to use. Since May 2018, for instance, Wooclap has had a Microsoft PowerPoint integration. With Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams, Wooclap is now an integral part of the digital work environment of many teachers around the world.

Interactive Teams meetings

In a remote setting, it is important to maintain the interactivity that is vital to teaching and learning, so that distance learning does not become synonymous with a diminished learning experience.

In the words of Mike Ammerlaan, Director of Microsoft 365 Ecosystem at Microsoft Corp: “Teaching and learning from home is a big change for most students and educators. It can be challenging to keep students and educators engaged and connected. With the combination of Wooclap and Teams, we can help make remote learning and teaching more dynamic and interactive for everyone.”

“For everyone” being the key words in that sentence, because this integration aims to help both the teacher and the students. How? By allowing them to use Wooclap’s interactive questions without having to leave the Teams meeting. This means everyone can focus on the lesson without having to worry about switching to another tab or logging into another app.

If you already use Microsoft Teams, what are you waiting for? Download the integration on the Microsoft Store! If you’re not sure how to go about it, have a look at this article from our Help Centre.