Chat Tool in Desire2Learn

What is Chat?

Chat Rooms enable students and instructors to interact with each other in real time (Synchonous). There are two types of chats:

• personal -- allow the creator to restrict participants

• general-- open to all class members.
  
  Both students and instructors can create personal chats; however, only instructors can create general chats. After you have created a chat, you may want to modify its name, description, or participants.

Personal chats, which can be created by students or instructors, are used for group conversations or working with peers in real time. Instructors have the option of making a personal chat persistent, which means that it will not expire. If this option is not chosen, the chat will be deleted after twenty minutes of inactivity and not archived in Desire2Learn. Only members selected by the creator of the chat can join the chat room.

General chats, can only be created  by instructors and can be used for conversations that are relevant to all members of the course. General chats do not expire.

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Creating a Personal Chat   Demonstration Video

1. From the Course Home page, on the Navigation bar, click CHAT
   The Available Chats dialog box appears.

2. Click CREATE CHAT
   The Create Chat dialog box appears.
    

3. Select Personal Chat
   

4. Click NEXT
   The Create Personal Chat dialog box appears.
   
   In the Chat Title text box, type the desired title for your chat
   

Faculty only: To create a chat that will not expire, select Persistent
NOTE: If this option is not selected, the chat will be deleted from Desire2Learn after twenty minutes of inactivity and will not be archived.

IMPORTANT NOTE:   The Personal Chats created by the teacher will appear in EVERY course you teach... take care to create UNIQUE names for these chat rooms.

1. In the Description scroll box, type a short description for your chat

2. Click NEXT
   The Participant List dialog box appears.

3. To add participants to your chat, click ADD
   The Add Chat Participant(s) dialog box appears.
   
   
   

4. Add Classmate, Select Class, and select any or all class participants:
   
   
   

5. If you know the username of the person you want to add:

   • Select Add Someone You Know.

   • In the Enter Username of the Friend you wish to add text box, type the appropriate Desire2Learn username

   • Click ADD

   • Repeat steps b-c for each user you want to add

   • When all users have been added, in the upper right corner of the dialog box, click the X 
     

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Creating a General Chat

1. From the Course Home page, on the Navigation bar, click CHAT
   The Available Chats dialog box appears.

2. Click CREATE CHAT
   The Create Chat dialog box appears.

3. Select General Chat

4. Click NEXT
   The Create General Chat dialog box appears.

5. In the Chat Title text box, type the desired title for your chat

6. In the Description scroll box, type a short description for your chat/
   
   Click CREATE
   You are returned to the Available Chats dialog box.
   

The Chat Environment

Once you have entered a chat, you will notice three frames: the Participants pane, the Chat pane, and the Add Message text box. This section explains the purpose of these frames and the available buttons in the chat.

Participating in a Chat

Participating in a Chat: Entering and Exiting the Chat Room

1. From the Course Home page, on the Navigation bar, click CHAT
   The Available Chats dialog box appears.

2. Click the name of the chat you wish to enter
   The chat window appears.

3. At the bottom of the page, in the Add Message text box, type a message

4. Click ADD
   Your message is added to the chat.

5. To leave the chat, click EXIT CHAT
   You are returned to the Available Chats dialog box.

Participating in a Chat: Changing Your Chat Identity

This option allows you to change the font style and color of your name in the chat.

1. From the Course Home page, on the Navigation bar, click CHAT
   The Available Chats dialog box appears.

2. Click the name of the chat you wish to enter
   The chat window appears.

3. Click CHANGE YOUR CHAT USER IDENTITY
   The Edit Your Chat Identity dialog box appears.

4. Use the checkboxes and pull-down list to make the desired changes

5. When you have made the desired changes, click SUBMIT
   The Edit Your Chat Identity dialog box refreshes and displays the message: Chat Identity Successfully Changed!
   NOTE: If the identity you selected has already been chosen by another user, a message alert appears.

6. When finished, click CLOSE
   Your chat identity is changed.
   

Archives:
All Chats are archived after 20 minutes of inactivity. The archive is accessed by clicking on the icon (it looks like a little book) beside the chat name.
 

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