Creating a Chat Room

The Chat Room tool is a real-time, text-based collaboration tool. You can use the Chat Room tool to brainstorm ideas, hold a question and answer period, have a debate or discussion, or organise a remote study group. VU Collaborate Chat Room allows you and your students a space to have a text-based discussion in real time. You can use the Chat Room tool to connect with students in your Space or encourage students to connect with each other. As opposed to other collaboration tools, such as Discussions, Chat conversations occur in real time. You can set up unit specific chat rooms or chat rooms that involve individuals from all over the organisation. 

This guide will help you set up and take part in a real-time Chat Room-based discussion in VU Collaborate with your students. It can also be set up for students to connect with each other. Once created, there is more information available in Managing Chat Rooms. 

Below are the steps of this guide:

• Locating the Chat Room
• Setting up a New Chat Room
• Joining the Chat Room
• Taking Part in the Chat Room
• Inserting the Chat Room into VU Collaborate

Step One: Locating the Chat Room

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 1. The Chat Room is accessed from the Space Admin menu in the navigation bar.

 

Step Two: Setting up a new Chat Room

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 1. Click New Chat Room. 

2. Fill in the Title to set up the name and space of the room.

There are two types of chat:

• General chats: are public chats visible to everyone enrolled in the space where they are created. General chats allow you to incorporate chat discussions into the teaching of a unit since they are automatically open to all users enrolled in the unit.
• Personal chats: are private and visible only to users who you have added to the chat's participants list.

3. Select either General Chat Room or Personal Chat Room to meet your requirements.

4. Complete the Description as required.

5. Click Create to set up your Chat Room.

Tip: You can use this space to upload relevant content to meet the purpose of the Chat Room.

Step Three: Joining the Chat Room

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 1. To join a Chat Room, select the name and click on it. This link will take you to your space and connect you to the Chat Room. 

Step Four: Taking Part in the Chat Room 

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1. You can now see currently available online participants in the Chat Room on the left. 

2. You are able to send messages to the Chat Room by entering text in the box as illustrated. Type your message.

3. Once your message is finalised click Send to submit to the Chat Room. 

 

Step Five: Inserting the Chat Room into VU Collaborate

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1.  In the navbar at the top of your space, click Learning Space.

2. From the list of modules under the Table of Contents, select the module where you would like to add a chat room.

 

 

3. In the module area, click the Add Activities drop - down menu. Then choose the Chat Room option.

 

 

4. Use the Search Field to find the Chat Room you would like to add to the module.

 

 

5. Click on the name of the Chat Room.