Moderation Feature
Something I’ve noticed that is coming to Microsoft Teams is the Q&A app! For larger meetings, I think this will be a total game changer. I can’t tell you how many meetings I’ve sat in (for example, large-scale PD with more than 200 attendees) where, sometimes, questions in the chat box go unnoticed or maybe somebody spends a lot of time asking questions. Having some sort of moderation feature has always been helpful, and it looks like one is now coming to Teams.
To help provide a more structured question and answer experience during larger meetings, this feature enables attendees to:
- Ask and reply to questions before and during a meeting.
- Mark best answers and filter responses
- Moderate and dismiss questions (this is the neatest part for me–a moderation feature, in my eyes, is always needed for large meetings so that we can filter out questions that are off topic or not productive to the conversation)
- Pin posts
How To Download
Also, it looks like responses to questions are threaded in a conversation with the original question.
I see a lot of merit to the Q&A app, especially in large meetings. Via Microsoft’s website, the Q&A app will be generally available in September 2021. To add Q&A to a meeting, simply add the app during the scheduling process. And, for more information about Q&A, check out the video here.
About the Author
Victoria Thompson is a STEM Integration Transformation Coach at Technology Access Foundation–a nonprofit leader redefining STEM education in public schools–a consultant for Ignite EdTech, a learning specialist for NCCE, and an ISTE Ambassador. She has been in education for five years and began her journey teaching fifth and sixth grade math and science in Summerville, SC. After completing her masters degree in curriculum and instruction she moved to the Seattle, WA area in 2018, where her career has pivoted to focusing on STEM integration in schools, K-12 mathematics instruction with research on decolonizing mathematics curriculum for teachers and learners, creating inclusive math environments, and using technology to bridge equity gaps in math education. She has presented at ISTE, ImpactEducation, CUE, and DigCitSummit on topics such as creating inclusive math classrooms, culturally responsive STEM education, and equity in educational technology. Additionally, she was recently awarded the title of one of the top 30 K-12 IT influencers in 2021 by EdTech Magazine.
