Chat
This chapter explains how to manage the Chat feature.
Key Concepts of the Chat Feature
The Chat feature is a chatroom powered by a third-party application called Zbit. Each instance of the feature is a single chat room that users can enter and chat with each other.
The default layout for course contexts includes an instance of the Chat feature on the Collaboration page. If desired, you may be able to create additional instances. If you need help with adding a feature to a page, refer to the Add a Feature Instance to a Page section.
Managing a Chat Feature Instance
You manage an instance of the Chat feature using the links found under the Admin Options heading in the right sidebar.
Administrative options include the following:
Chat availability – Manage chat availability and customize an availability message for users.
View log files – View and download chat log files.
The Chat feature allows you to schedule times at which Chat will be available for users. If users access the feature outside of the available times that you specify, they will see the message that you
Note
After you set up available chat times on the Chat Availability screen, the Chat feature instance will be available only at those times. If you do not set up chat availability, the Chat feature instance will always be available.
To set up chat availability:
Navigate to the Chat feature instance for which you wish to set up availability.
Click the Chat availability link under the Admin Options heading.
The Chat Availability screen displays, showing chat availability for the current week.
Take one of the following actions:
Click a start time on the calendar and while holding down the mouse button, drag to the end time of the event.
Click once on a start time on the calendar.
Note that if you click in the All day box for a given day, you will be making chat available for the entire day.
The Add availability dialog displays. The start time and end time are prepopulated based on where you clicked and dragged on the calendar. If you single-clicked on the calendar, the end time will be 30 minutes after the start time by default.
If necessary, make changes to the start and end time of chat availability.
Click Add availability.
The Add availability dialog closes, and the calendar redisplays with the new availability added.
On the Chat Availability screen, you can also customize the message that displays to users when chat is unavailable.
Navigate to the Chat feature instance for which you wish to set up availability.
Click the Chat availability link under the Admin Options heading.
The Chat Availability screen displays.
Click the Edit button to the right of the availability message.
A text editor displays with a variety of options for customizing the availability message.
Customize the message as you see fit.
Click Save.
Navigate to the Chat feature instance for which you wish to view or download log files.
Click the View log files link under the Admin Options heading.
Select Enable Session Logging.
When logging is enabled, the Chat feature keeps logs for each chat that takes place in the feature instance. Users with the Can Manage Logs permission can access these logs via the View log files link found under the administrative options in the upper-right corner of the Chat window.
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Log files are organized according to month and year. This screen provides options for downloading or deleting individual chat sessions, all logs for a particular month or all logs since the Chat feature instance was created.
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To manage log files:
Navigate to the Chat feature instance for which you wish to view or download log files.
Click the View log files link under the Admin Options heading.
A list of all log files displays.
Take any of the following actions:
To view a log file, click its title.
To download a log file, click the corresponding Download button.
To download all log files for a particular month, click the Download all button next to the month and year.
To download the complete chat history, click the Download all button at the top of the screen.
To delete a log file, click the corresponding Delete button.
To delete all log files for a particular month, click the Delete all button next to the month and year.
To delete the complete chat history, click the Delete all button at the top of the screen.