To help everyone have a positive and focused experience whilst using Microsoft Teams, it’s important to follow good online behaviour. Here are some key expectations:

• Be punctual – Join meetings on time and be prepared.
• Think About Your Study Space – Try to join from a quiet room, seated at a table or desk. Avoid lying on a bed or sitting in a noisy or distracting environment.
• Dress Appropriately – Wear clothes suitable for a classroom setting.
• Mute your microphone when you’re not speaking to reduce background noise.
• Use the chat respectfully – Keep messages polite, on-topic, and appropriate.
• Turn your camera on if asked, and make sure:
  • You’re dressed appropriately
  • Your background is tidy and not distracting
• Participate just like you would in a classroom – be attentive and respectful.
• Think before you type or speak – remember your messages can be seen by everyone.
• Avoid distractions – Don’t use other apps or devices during lessons.

Whether you’re getting ready for a presentation, interview, or a group assessment, you can use Teams to practice and build confidence. If you are preparing for an interview or assessment, we recommend setting up your own Teams meeting and practising with friends or family.

Before your Session:

• Test your camera and microphone to ensure they’re working properly.
• Check your background, choose a tidy space or apply a background filter in Teams.
• Make sure you’re in a quiet environment to minimise distractions.

You can do this by either making a test call or by setting up your own meeting.

Make a Test Call

Select Settings and more at the top-right of Teams.

1. Select Settings  > Devices  
2. Under Audio Settings, select Make a test call

In a test call, you’ll see how your mic, speaker, and camera are working. Follow the instructions from Test Call Bot and record a short message. The message will play back for you. After that, you’ll get a summary of the test call, and you can go to your device settings to make changes.

If you have any issues whilst testing, please visit the troubleshooting tips below.

If you’re having trouble using Microsoft Teams, try these quick tips before contacting the Catalyst Helpdesk.

Choosing the Right Browser

We recommend using the Teams Desktop app rather than the browser, however here are some tips if you are using the browser:

• Sometimes, simply closing and reopening Teams can fix small issues, especially if you’re using it in a browser.
• We recommend using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or the latest version of Microsoft Edge for the best experience. Other browsers like Safari or older versions of Edge may not work as well.
• If you’re struggling to open a link or join a session, check if your browser is blocking anything. In Chrome, for example, you might need to allow pop-ups or permissions.
  

Check your Internet Connection

• Poor internet can cause problems with sound or video. Try moving closer to your Wi-Fi router, using a wired connection, or restarting your router.
  

Check your Microphone, Speakers and Camera

Selecting the right devices:

• Click the small arrow next to the microphone or camera icon on the meeting toolbar.
• Choose the correct microphone, speakers/headphones, and camera — especially if you’re using a headset, Bluetooth device, or external webcam.

Allow permissions:

You may also need to allow permissions on your laptop or computer. This varies depending on your device and operating system.

• On Windows, you can check this by going to:
  • Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone / Camera
  • Make sure access is enabled for Microsoft Teams and that your device is allowed to use the microphone and camera.
• On Mac, go to:
  • System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone / Camera
  • Ensure Teams is ticked to allow access.
• If you’re using a browser, you may also need to:
  • Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  • Check that microphone and camera permissions are set to Allow.

If permissions are blocked, Teams won’t be able to use your devices even if they’re selected correctly.

Camera:

• Make sure your camera is turned on and not being used by another app.
• If you have a cover over your camera lens, make sure it is removed.

Accessing Files for Screen Sharing

• Find out where you stored your file before sharing.
• We recommend saving files to your university OneDrive.
• Open the file before sharing, or if it’s a PowerPoint presentation we recommend using PowerPoint Live

Update Teams

• If you’re using the Teams app, make sure it’s up to date. Older versions can cause problems.  

Breakout rooms in Microsoft Teams allow participants to split into smaller groups. These are commonly used in lectures, interviews, and group assessments to support discussion, collaboration, and peer learning.

To ensure breakout rooms work smoothly, it’s important that you join the meeting correctly.

Student Guidance

• Always use your Edge Hill university username to join Teams meetings.
• Avoid joining with personal accounts like Hotmail or Outlook, as these may show up as (external) and cannot be assigned to breakout rooms.
• Make sure you’re using the latest version of the Teams app.
• Do not join using a phone or tablet as it could limit your access.
• If you accidentally join with a personal account, sign out and sign back in using your Edge Hill email address.

External Guidance

• If you’re an external participant (e.g. attending an interview), do not sign into Teams with your personal Microsoft account (e.g. Hotmail, Outlook), as this may prevent breakout room assignment.
• Ensure you are signed out of the Teams app with your personal account before clicking on the joining link
• Join the meeting without signing in, entering your name manually.

Breakout rooms troubleshooting guide in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support 

Microsoft Teams includes several built-in accessibility and translation features to support inclusive teaching. Live captions can be enabled by you to display spoken content as text during meetings.  

Captions can be turned on by: 

• Selecting “More” (three dots) 

• Expand “Language and speech”  

• Within the “Language and speech” options select “Show live captions”. 

Visit the Microsoft guidance to learn more about accessibility features in Teams.