Many universities are shifting from Zoom to Microsoft Teams to leverage its seamless integration with Microsoft 365 tools like Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive. This transition fosters a more unified digital environment, streamlining communication and enhancing collaboration across academic and administrative functions.

Key Details:

• Transition Timeframe: All virtual meetings and collaborative activities will transition to Microsoft Teams as the primary platform moving forward.
• Training: To support a smooth transition, we will provide training sessions to help users effectively navigate Microsoft Teams and make the most of its collaborative features.
• Support Resources: Helpful documentation and step-by-step guides are available to support your transition to Microsoft Teams. For additional assistance or questions, please contact IT Service Desk.
• Feedback: We value your feedback and input during this transition. If you have any suggestion, concerns, or ideas to share, please contact us at IT@LIU.edu.

We understand that change can bring challenges, but we are committed to supporting you every step of the way. With its robust collaboration tools and seamless integration, Microsoft Teams will enhance the way we communicate and work together as a university community.

Tools comparison between Zoom and Teams.

Zoom Feature	Microsoft Teams Equivalent	Notes
Meeting Scheduling	Teams Calendar / Outlook	Schedule directly from Teams or Outlook
Waiting Room	Lobby	Control who enters the meeting
Breakout Rooms	Breakout Rooms	Pre-assign or manage during meeting
Screen Sharing	Share Content	Share screen, window, or use Whiteboard
In-meeting Chat	Meeting Chat	Persistent chat available before/during/after
Recording	Recording to OneDrive/SharePoint	Auto-share via meeting chat
Virtual Backgrounds	Background Effects	Blur, built-in, or upload your own
Polling	Microsoft Forms	Integrated live polls/quizzes
Reactions & Raise Hand	Reactions and Queue	Hand raising and emoji feedback
Attendance Tracking	Attendance Report	Downloadable after meeting
Course Material Integration	OneDrive/SharePoint + LMS	Direct access and sharing

Feature comparison between Zoom and Teams.

Features	LIU Zoom	Teams
Max Meeting Duration	30 Hours	30 Hours
Max Meeting Capacity	300	300
Max Chat Capacity	300	300
Default Meeting Quality	720p	1020p
Encryption (layman’s term)	AES GCM	TLS (Optional E2EE)
Office 365 Integration	✓	✓
Captioning	✓	✓
Sign Language View	✓	✓
Immersive Reader	No	✓
Meeting Chat Retention	✓	✓
Storage of Meetings	✓ (30 Days)	✓ (60 Days)
Offers Webinars	✓	✓
Offers HIPAA standard meetings	✓	✓
Breakout Rooms	✓	✓

Meeting Scheduling

• Zoom: Schedule meetings via the Zoom app or integrated calendar.
• Teams: Schedule meetings directly in Teams or through Outlook integration. You can also set recurring meetings and send invites easily.

Video Conferencing

• Zoom: Host video meetings with HD video and audio, virtual backgrounds, and breakout rooms.
• Teams: Teams provides HD video and audio, customizable backgrounds, and breakout rooms for group discussions. Additionally, Teams offers AI-powered noise suppression and real-time transcription.

Screen Sharing

• Zoom: Share your screen or specific applications during meetings.
• Teams: Share your entire screen, specific windows, or PowerPoint presentations. Teams also allows collaborative editing of shared documents during meetings.

Chat and Messaging

• Zoom: In-meeting chat and persistent chat channels.
• Teams: Teams offers robust chat functionality with persistent channels, private chats, and integration with other Office 365 apps. You can also use rich text formatting, emojis, and GIFs.

File Sharing and Collaboration

• Zoom: Share files during meetings and via chat.
• Teams: Teams integrates seamlessly with OneDrive and SharePoint, allowing easy file sharing and collaborative editing. You can co-author documents in real-time and access shared files directly from the Teams interface.

Recording and Transcription

• Zoom: Record meetings and save locally or to the cloud.
• Teams: Record meetings and save them to OneDrive or SharePoint. Teams also offers automatic transcription and searchable recordings.

Security and Compliance

• Zoom: Provides encryption and meeting security features.
• Teams: Teams offers enterprise-grade security with end-to-end encryption, compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, and other regulations, and advanced threat protection.

1. Open Teams and navigate to the Calendar tab.
2. Click “New Meeting” and fill in the details.
3. (Optional) Set meeting options like automatic recording and meeting access.
4. Invite participants by entering their email addresses.

 

Screen sharing is useful for showing slides, documents, websites, or software applications to students in real time.

Steps to Share Your Screen in Microsoft Teams

1. Join or start a Teams meeting.
2. In the meeting controls at the top of the screen, click the ‘Share’ icon (rectangle with an arrow).
3. Choose what you want to share:
   – Entire screen: Shares everything on your display.
   – Window: Shares only one specific application window.
   – PowerPoint Live: Share a presentation with slide navigation and presenter view.
   – Microsoft Whiteboard: Share an interactive whiteboard.
4. After selecting an option, the sharing begins automatically. A red border may appear around what is being shared.
5. To stop sharing, click ‘Stop Sharing’ in the Teams meeting controls.

Tips for Effective Screen Sharing

• Close unrelated apps and notifications to avoid distractions.
• Use ‘Window’ sharing to keep your screen focused.
• Use PowerPoint Live to access presenter tools and avoid screen clutter.
• Ask students to confirm they can see your screen.
• Consider sharing system audio if playing videos.

Microsoft Teams Chat is a powerful tool for connecting with colleagues, students, or departments instantly. This paget walks you through the basic and advanced features of using chat in Teams.

Accessing Chat

1. Open Microsoft Teams: Launch the desktop app or visit https://teams.microsoft.com
2. Click on the Chat Icon (💬) in the left-hand navigation pane.

Starting a New Chat

1. Click “New Chat” icon in the upper left of the Chat list panel.
2. In the “To:” field, type the name, email, or group of the person(s) you want to message.
3. Type your message at the bottom where it says “Type a new message”, then hit Enter to send.

 Tips for Faculty
• Classroom Support: Use chat to provide students with real-time assistance or quick reminders.
• Private Feedback: Message individual students about assignments or performance.
• Group Discussions: Chat with co-instructors or TAs to coordinate coursework or grading.

Sharing Files via Chat

1. In your chat window, click the paperclip icon (📎).
2. Choose “Upload from my computer” or “OneDrive”.
3. Select your file and click “Send”.
   (Files shared in chat are automatically stored in OneDrive and accessible within the chat.)

Audio & Video from Chat

• Click the video camera icon or phone icon in the upper right to start a video or audio call directly from the chat.

Emojis, Reactions & Formatting

• Use the toolbar below the message box to add emojis (😊), GIFs, or stickers, or to format your text.
• Hover over any message to react with a thumbs up, heart, or other emoji.

Organizing Chats

• Pin Important Chats: Hover over a chat, click the three dots (…), then select “Pin”.
• Mute Notifications: In the same menu, choose “Mute” to stop receiving alerts for that chat.

Search in Chat
Use the Search Bar at the top of Teams to:

• Look up messages or files
• Find specific conversations
• Jump to a specific chat by typing a name

Best Practices

• Be clear and concise in messages
• Use @mentions to draw attention (e.g., @John Smith)
• Respect privacy—use group chats for class-wide messages and private chats for 1:1 communication
• Archive or delete inactive chats if needed (right-click the chat > Hide)

Need help? Contact your Teaching & Learning Center or IT Support.
Email: it@liu.edu | Ext. 3300

Breakout Rooms in Microsoft Teams allow faculty to divide students into smaller groups for focused discussions, activities, or collaborative work. This guide provides step-by-step instructions on creating, managing, and closing breakout rooms effectively.

Before the Meeting

Breakout rooms can only be created in scheduled Teams meetings (not in channel meetings or ad-hoc calls).

1. Schedule a meeting via the Teams Calendar.
2. Ensure you are the “meeting organizer” — only organizers can manage breakout rooms.

Creating Breakout Rooms

1. Start the meeting and click the “Breakout rooms” icon in the top meeting toolbar.
2. Select the number of rooms you want to create (up to 50).
3. Choose how participants will be assigned:
   • “Automatically”: Teams assigns participants evenly.
   • “Manually”: You assign individuals to rooms.
4. Click “Create Rooms”.

Managing Breakout Rooms

• “Open/Close Rooms”: Open all rooms at once or individually.
• “Assign/Move Participants”: Reassign people between rooms anytime.
• “Join Any Room”: Click the three dots (…) next to a room and select “Join Room”.
• “Rename Rooms”: Give rooms descriptive names (e.g., Group 1 – Research).

Communicating with Participants
“Send Announcement”: Click the megaphone icon to send a message to all rooms.
“Chat”: Use the room chat to share documents, links, or instructions. These chats remain accessible after the session.

Returning to the Main Meeting

• Participants can return manually or you can “close rooms”, bringing everyone back.
• Once closed, room chats remain available for continued collaboration.

Tips for Faculty

• Prepare discussion prompts or documents ahead of time.
• Monitor progress by dropping into rooms.
• Set clear time limits and objectives before opening rooms.
• Use announcements to guide students or manage time.

Need help? Contact your Teaching & Learning Center or IT Support.
Email: it@liu.edu | Ext. 3300

Training Videos: Access Teams training videos provided by the university’s IT department.

Help Desk: Contact the university’s IT help desk for support with Teams