Learn@UWSuperior - Student Guide

Chat

This is an online chat area. It is similar to MSN Messenger or Yahoo Chat, although in Learn@UWSuperior chat, you will only be able to chat with people, including professors, enrolled in your courses or at UW-Superior.

Shown above is the main Chat screen that will be displayed on your screen.

There are two types of Chat

• Course Chat
• Personal Chat

Course Chat

Your instructor creates all Course Chats.  You are unable to delete, edit, or create a Course Chat.  Course Chats are open to the entire class.

Personal Chat

As a student, you can create, edit or delete a Personal Chat.  Personal Chat will allow you to communicate with only the people that you wish to communicate. Below each Personal Chat, the participants for that particular Chat will be listed; those who are currently in the chat will be highlighted in green.  Your instructor can also create  Personal Chats for advising, one-to-one conferences, or to create a Chat open to a particular Group.

 

Within this area you will be shown:

• How to create a Personal Chat
• How to enter a Chat

 

Create A Personal Chat

• Click on the Create Chat     button.

  

• Create Chat page will open.  Click on the Next button if you are sure you want to create a Personal Chat, otherwise click on the Cancel button.

  

• After you click on the Next button, you will access a page where you will be asked to enter the chat title and the chat description.  After you enter the information, click on the Next button.  If you do not want to proceed with creating the personal chat, click on the Cancel button.

  

• If you clicked on the Next button, you will view the same page with an extended area for you to add the participants.  Your username will be added in the list of Current Participants.

  

• To add participants to the list of the Current Participants click on the add link located next to Current Participants.
• A new web browser window will open.  You could either type a username of someone you know or add a class mate by choosing a class that you are enrolled in.

  

• To add a participant to your Personal Chat using Add Someone You Know, type the username and click on the Save button.  Your friend will be added to the Current Participants  list.
• To add a participant to your personal chat using Add Classmate(s), click on the radio button and choose a class from the drop down menu.  Once you select the course, a list of your classmates will be displayed.  Click on the check box beside the person you want to be added to the chat.  Then click on the Save button.
• If the usernames of the participants that you just added is not listed under Current Partcipants, click on the Update button.
• If you want to remove a participant(s) from the list click on the check box beside their name and click on the remove hyperlink beside Current Participants.  Note you cannot remove yourself from the list.
• To return to the main Chat page click on the Chat List button, or if you want to enter the chat room click on the Enter Chat button.

Note: that the personal chat rooms that you create will expire after approximately 3 days.  Also note that you can create only one personal chat at a time.

Editing a Chat

If you want to make changes to the Chat that you have created, click on the Edit icon beside the Personal Chat title. You can add and remove participants as well as change the title and the description of the Chat.

  Deleting a Chat

To delete a personal chat that you have created, select the Delete icon beside the chat title.  When you click on the Delete icon, a dialog box will appear asking you whether you are sure you want to delete the personal chat.  If you are sure, click on the OK button, otherwise click on the Cancel button.

Enter a Chat

To enter a particular Chat, click on the title of the Chat. 

Adding Chat messages

To add a message simply type in the text and click on the Add button or press the Enter key.

Lines

Lines allows you to change the number of lines that you want displayed on your screen. First enter the number of lines that you wish to have and then on click the Change button.

Chat Identity

You can edit your identity by clicking on the icon on the top of the screen. Here you can select bold or italics. You can also choose a color from the dropdown menu. To complete your changes click on the Submit button. If you do not wish to change anything click on the Close button. Note: Although this icon is labeled "Change Identity", you can only change the way your name appears, not the name itself.

Printable view

This will give you the opportunity to look at the printable view of the chat page. To enter to the chat page again click on the Back to Chat button.

Refresh chat

Sometimes due to various difficulties you will not be able to view the messages in a particular Chat; by clicking on the Refresh button you will have the opportunity to view the messages that you were previously unable to view.

Change Chat

While you are in the Chat, you can change into another Chat by clicking on the Chat dropdown menu and choosing a different chat room.

To Exit the chat room click on the Exit Chat button. 

Archives

This tool allows you to see a history of all the entries in a specific chat. Click the Archive icon beside the chat session to see the complete history of that particular chat. 

The number of Participants for each Course Chat is shown under the Current Participations column.