Using Chat

1. What is a CHAT?

The Chat activity module allows participants to have a real-time synchronous discussion in a Moodle course.

This is a useful way to get a different understanding of each other and the topic being discussed – the mode of using a chat room is quite different from the asynchronous forums.

2. Examples

Example: 

A forecaster brief using chat (like Sarah’s briefing) breakout rooms

Why use chat?

Chat has an advantage over a Forum in that it takes place in real time. It is especially beneficial when the group is not able to meet face to face. As it is text-based, it can be used when network bandwidth is a concern. It is especially useful for Distance Learning courses, but can also be used on a variety of situations.

Examples might be:

• Share ideas in real time during a briefing on a forecast situation whose images have been made available beforehand on the platform.
• Chat during a simulation exercise
• Regular meetings of staff on large or split campuses to discuss student or curriculum issues;
• Regular meetings of students doing online courses to enable them to share experiences with others on the same course but potentially in a different city (or country).
• A teacher working with his students even though he is out of town.
• A student temporarily unable to attend in person chatting with their tutor to catch up with work.
• Students out on work experience getting together to discuss their experiences with each other and their tutor.

Why NOT use chat?

• Unless a tutor/moderator is permanently present in the chatroom -or unless the chat is hidden and revealed at certain times - it is difficult to control what is said once a chat has started.
• Younger students particularly may find it difficult to stay on task and be prone to adding non-useful comments or "beeping" others for the sake of it.
• In some situations, a forum might be preferred as it allows for reflection before posting and gives a period of time where the post might be edited.

3. How to use Chat activity

Turn editing On if not and click the "Add an activity or resource" link (or, if not present, the "Add an activity" drop down menu ) and choose Chat. All settings may be expanded by clicking the "Expand all" link top right.

Give a name to your chat room.

In the "Chat sessions" section, you need to set up time and date of your chat. It can be specific date and time, or you could decide to let it be open for your students to come and go as they like. You also choose there if you would like them to be able to re-open the chat and whether the chat should be saved in order to access past sessions later.

For courses involving users across different time zones, it is useful to know that the time you set here will be adjusted to match the time zone of the user viewing it.

As for most activities in Moodle, you can set restrictions and completion criteria, or add specific roles.

When your users click the chat link on the course page they will see two or three options:

• Click here to enter the chat now - this takes them to the chat using the chosen site default chat method;
  
• Use more accessible interface - this gives a simpler chat room without frames and javascript;
• View past sessions - if this has been enabled and the user is allowed to view past chat sessions, this takes them to a list of past sessions with links to the chat.

4. Practice

Breakout rooms for collaborative work:
Create several Chat activities on your Moodle site and give permissions to groups of users to access one of them.
This way, you create breakout rooms for them to chat on a project or an assignment they have to prepare collectively.

Chatting during a simulation:

Ask small groups of learners to take on the roles of forecaster and air traffic control. While using a simulation tool to forecast a rapidly evolving situation, they have to practice good communication skills using chat messages, while at the same time they must analyze and update their forecasts and make air traffic decisions.