Overview

With Absorb Engage's Collaboration tool and the Microsoft Teams Integration capabilities below, you can facilitate peer knowledge sharing to promote informal learning, expand expertise and interest in topics important to the organization or stakeholders (employees, partners, contractors, gig, etc.)

Using Microsoft Teams provides users the capability to break out into a 1:1 or larger group Chat(s) from a Collaboration or LMS 1:1 discussion into Teams (which can then become a video conference through Teams if desired).
 

The Microsoft Teams integration will also include the ability to send on Online Course and Curriculum Nudge notification to the User's Microsoft Team's account. Today Absorb's Nudge notification goes to the User's email and into the Messages section of the LMS. Using Microsoft Teams Nudge Notifications, they will also receive the Nudge within their Microsoft Teams account. 

Note: These Microsoft Teams integrations are not similar to our Zoom integration, where the Zoom integration is used to schedule video conferencing to support Instructor-Led Courses (ILCs); please instead see this article for setting up Microsoft Teams for your virtual meetings for ILCs.

Getting Started

You can easily enable the Microsoft Teams Integration within your Absorb LMS portal by adjusting the Portal Settings.  Once enabled, your Users will be able to chat and share information together through an Absorb Engage Collaboration and begin to receive Nudge Notifications through Microsoft Teams.

• The Microsoft Teams Integration is available to add to an Organization's LMS, by going to Portal Settings > Info Tab and turning the Enable Microsoft Teams Integration toggle to On.
  
  
• Turning the toggle on will display the following options:
  • Microsoft Teams Tenant ID - where Admins will enter in their Organization's Tenant ID, so that Nudge Notifications will go to Users through Microsoft Teams, in addition to their email and Messages within the LMS. 
  • Enable Microsoft Teams Nudge Notifications - turning this on, in conjunction with the Tenant ID, will allow Online Courses and Curricula Nudges through Microsoft Teams. 
  • Enable Microsoft Teams Chat - where the Organization can allow Users to chat with other Users through Collaborations. 

Note: The User's email populated in the LMS must match their Microsoft Team's User Principal Name or the User will not be able to connect to Microsoft Teams in order to Chat with other Collaboration Users nor will they receive any notifications through Microsoft Teams. 

Instructions

Steps to send Nudges to Teams

Step 1

Navigate to the Portal Settings by clicking the silhouette icon from the top right-hand side of the Admin portal. Choose Portal Settings from the sub-menu.  You will be routed to the Info page.

Step 2

From the Portal Settings page, scroll down to the Enable Microsoft Teams Integration option.  Toggle the Enable Integration with Microsoft Teams Integration to On.  

Step 3

Once Enable Microsoft Teams Integration is turned on, 2 new options will appear. For the Nudge Notification feature, the Microsoft Teams Tenant ID will need to be populated.  Here is where the Admin will enter in their organization's Microsoft Teams Tenant ID.  You will need to work with your Microsoft Teams IT Administrator to:

1. identify your Teams Tenant ID, and
2. install the Absorb LMS Teams app into a Teams channel that contains the Members of users who are in the LMS using these instructions... https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-an-app-to-microsoft-teams-b2217706-f7ed-4e64-8e96-c413afd02f77. 

Step 4

Toggle Enable Microsoft Teams Nudge Notifications to On. 

Step 5

Setting up the Nudge Notification

• Navigate to the Online Course or Curriculum you would like to add the Nudge Notification too, by selecting Courses from the Admin Menu. 
• Search and find the Online Course or Curriculum and select the box to the left of the training name. 
• Choose Edit from the top right-hand side Action menu. 
• Scroll to the bottom and select Messages from the Add More Course Settings section. 
• Check the box to the left of the Send nudge email message. 
• Add how duration in Years, Days, Months or Hours in the Nudge Every section. This will calculate from either the enrollment date or the last time the message was sent. 
• Add how many total messages you want to deliver to the User in the Max Nudges field. If the default value of 0 is left, the User will not receive any messages. 
• Select Publish to save your changes. 

Note: You can manage your default Nudge email content in Message Templates. Please see the Message Templates article for more information. 

Customizing Teams Nudge Notifications

If you would like to customize or edit a Teams Nudge notification, please be aware that these are not customizable at the Course level under Message Templates. If you would like to customize the Teams Nudge notification, you will need to navigate to Setup < Translations. Then, search for the translatable terms (Key or Value). Once you have located the Teams Nudge Notification, click Edit on the right-hand menu to customize.

Translatable Terms: 

Subject

Key: TeamsNudgeNotificationSubject
Value: "Reminder for {CourseName}"

Note: This term is used for the card summary in the tray notification and the title of the nudge notification. 

Body

Key: TeamsNudgeNotificationBody
Value: "Hi {FirstName} {LastName}, this message is to remind you that you enrolled in <strong>{CourseName}</strong> on {StartDate} but have not yet completed your course. Please use the following link to access {LmsName} and complete your course as soon as possible: {LmsLink}

Important

A Teams Tenant Administrator can customize the Microsoft Teams Nudge Notification App to match branding of their LMS name, icon and assets. Prior to customizing your Nudges, the Admin will need to add the Absorb LMS app to their Microsoft Team's account. Please follow the following steps in order to customize your branding.

1. Make the Absorb LMS App Available in the Microsoft Teams Instance from Apps - Manage your apps in the Microsoft Teams admin center - Microsoft Teams
2. Attach Absorb LMS App to your organization's Teams Account - Add an App to Microsoft Team.
3. Customize your Microsoft Teams Nudge Notification App - Customize apps in Microsoft Teams.

This feature does not require any additional configuration on the LMS side, it is just a way for the Microsoft Teams Tenant Administrator to rebrand the Microsoft Teams Nudge Notification App to match the branding of their LMS Learner Experience. 

Steps to set the ability to Chat within Microsoft Teams

Step 1

Navigate to the Portal Settings by clicking the silhouette icon from the top right-hand side of the Admin portal. Choose Portal Settings from the sub-menu.  You will be routed to the Info page.

Step 2

From the Portal Settings page, scroll down to the Enable Microsoft Teams Integration and Enable Microsoft Teams Chat options.  Toggle them both to On.  

Step 3

Setup your Collaboration(s). 

• Absorb Engage: Collaborations
• How to Build a Collaboration
• How to Add a Collaboration to a Course
• Templates: The Collaboration Activity Tile

Roles & Permissions

System Admins are the only Admins who can adjust settings within the Portal Settings. Once the Microsoft Teams Integration options have been toggled on, all other Admins will need the following permissions. 

Required Role Permissions

Keep in mind that you may need to adjust Course level Course Administrator permissions.

Suggested Role Permissions