Chat

The chat tool allows participants to have a real-time (LIVE) synchronous text-based discussion (no audio/video) via the web. This should not be confused with forums and email whose purpose is asynchronous or NOT real-time (NOT LIVE).

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

Chat has many uses including collaborative discovery, online seminars, exam preparations, and study groups. It is especially useful for working out logistical issues of deciding roles and how to share the work within group projects.

Accessing chat


  1. Click the Chat Activity in your course.
  2. A new chat pop-up window should appear.
    Note: If you don't see the chat window, check your browser isn’t blocking pop-up windows.
  3. The pop-up window will be divided into three parts.
    1. Messages posted within the chat appear on the left side,
    2. People online within the chat room are listed on the right.
    3. The message input field where you compose and send your messages is along the bottom of the window.
  4. If enabled by the instructor, a history of each chat conversation can be saved and made available to students. The instructor may view this history to check on what has been discussed if they were not present or to refer to later.

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Conventions and Formatting


The following conventions and formatting are available within the Chat activity:

Emoticons

Emoticon conventions used elsewhere within UR Courses can be included in chat messages and will be displayed using a graphic equivalent where available.

Auto-linking

Internet addresses will be turned into clickable links automatically.

Emoting

You can start a line with /me or a colon: to emote. For example, if your name is Kim and you type :laughs! or /me laughs!, the message will appear within the Chat window as "Kim laughs!"

Talk

The Talk link adds an @ to that user's name in the conversation thread, but it is not a private message; everyone can still see it.

Beeps

You can send a sound to other people by hitting the "beep" link next to their name. A useful shortcut to beep all the people in the chat at once is to type beep all.

HTML

If you know some HTML code, you can use it in your text to insert images, play sounds or create different coloured and sized text.

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