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Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is an online version of all your favorite Office tools, such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. These apps are hosted in the cloud and can be accessed from any computer by navigating to http://office.com and signing-in using your VSC provided login credentials. Once logged-in, available apps can be accessed by clicking on the nine dot “waffle iron” icon in the upper left-hand corner of the screen.

Figure 1 shows several examples of popular apps that are currently available with the Vermont State College Systems’ instance of Microsoft 365 and VTSU educators are encouraged to evaluate the remaining apps to see if they could be useful in the classroom or office.

Icons of frequently used Microsoft 365 apps.
Figure 1: Examples of Microsoft 365 apps

Getting Started

  • It is recommended that instructors begin the process by watching the ‘Microsoft 365 Apps Explained’ video tutorial embedded in this page, which provides a high-level overview of each of the Microsoft 365 apps.
  • Members of the faculty are also encouraged to review some of Microsoft’s Quick Start Guides.
  • Users are also encouraged to visit the VSC IT Knowledge Base site periodically to access resources and review articles posted by the Office of Information Technology.

Support

Classroom Strategies

The basics:  Students can use OneDrive to create group documents that they can edit in real-time.  Since the document is stored “on the cloud”, the most up-to-date version of the document is always available to all group members.  Group members can also control who can access, edit or view the document at any time.

Variations on the approach:  Online collaboration with written assignments is also useful for peer review and editing.  Students can share the document with the class or specific students who can view or edit, using the comment function.  Instructors can also view the document and the peer edits in real-time.

The basics:  A wiki is a website that allows multiple users to add, modify, or delete content using rich-text editors or simplified markup language, allowing the users to co-construct papers, knowledge bases, or websites around a topic.  Students can use OneNote Class Notebook to create a class wiki.  The entire class, or a select group of students, can add their knowledge to the wiki on a given topic.  Wikis can be used as assessments, exam reviews, or class textbooks.

Variations on the approach:  Groups can use wikis as online portfolios for semester-long projects.  Students can archive their work, any reviews and edits, and final graded drafts on the wiki.  Instructors can access the wiki at the end of the semester to see the progression of work from individual students or groups.

The basics: Mindmaps are diagrams that visually connect information.  There are a variety of online tools that students can use to create mindmaps, but these can also be done in OneDrive, using Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.  Give students a topic, and ask them to create a mindmap to brainstorm, create a process flow chart, or connect ideas.

Variations on the approach:  Ask students to create graphic organizers or infographics visually explaining a topic or concept.  Graphic organizers can be useful group projects and online collaboration tools allow students to add their parts of the assignment in real-time.

The basics:  Students can use OneDrive to create and edit a PowerPoint presentation collaboratively.  Ask each group member to narrate a portion of the presentation by adding audio.

Variations on the approach:  Online collaboration tools allow students to store files on the cloud easily.  Students can upload portions of a video and use online collaboration tools to edit and publish a final product.   Sway is a good example of a unique multimedia presentation tool.

The basics: Use the Microsoft 365 Stream app to create a video channel with your class.  Share lecture videos if you are flipping your class, or use them as a video assignment dropbox for your students.

Variations on the approach: Ask students to create their own channels and use the video submissions as journals, discussion responses, or other multimedia assignments.

The basics:  As an instructor, you may find yourself answering the same question multiple times.  By using a shared document or class wiki with an app like OneNote Class Notebook, you can post the answer to any question you receive and share it with the entire class.  At the beginning of your class, train your students to refer to the document or wiki first before contacting you with a question. You can also create a culture in the class of insisting that students post their questions to the wiki rather than sending them directly to you, and providing extra credit for students who answer their peers’ questions.

Variations on the approach:  By sharing editing rights to a class document or wiki, students can answer questions for each other, creating a shared knowledge base and establishing students as peer experts on a given topic.

The basics: Add social media elements to your class using Flip.  Students can post video discussion responses in a safe yet social environment.  Flip makes it easy to create private groups that only you and your students can access.  Use Flip’s unique video filters to add personality, encourage responses, or provide students a measure of privacy.

Variations on the approach: Use Flip’s Shorts feature to record and embed short lectures (10 minutes or less) into the Canvas LMS.

The basics:  Post a Muddiest Point exercise folder in OneDrive and ask students to add their responses after each class.  Post your responses to their questions in the shared document or folder for the entire class to see.  You can also encourage students to respond to each other in a peer teaching activity.

Variations on the approach:  Use Microsoft Forms online to create a survey or poll.  Use this app to take a quick knowledge check, ask questions about a reading or video, jump-start discussions with data, or simply engage your students in the lesson.

Citation: 10 Strategies for Engaging Learners with Office 365 / OneDrive. Minnesota State University, Mankato. Retrieved May 22, 2024 from https://mlpp.pressbooks.pub/mavlearn/chapter/10-strategies-for-engaging-learners-with-office-365-onedrive/.

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