Using the Chat Tool in Canvas
We have added a new feature in Canvas that allows you and your students to chat with one another directly in Canvas.
Why use chat in your class?
A student who does not speak up in class may ask for help from peers
Provides a “backchannel” during class (can be useful if watching a film in class, for example)
Can start a conversation before students meet face to face
Can provide virtual office hours
Helps students form their own community
The Canvas chat feature is fairly basic. It does not allow for private chat. Students cannot delete their messages, though a teacher can. Instead of being a full-featured chat feature, it's really more about providing a "back-channel" for you in your classes.
Enabling Chat in a Canvas course
Because not everyone wants the responsibility of monitoring chat sessions, we have left this as an "opt-in" feature. You can turn chat on and off as you wish by following these simple instructions.
Go to course settings
Choose the Navigation tab
Locate the Chat item,
Click on the “more options” icon
choose to Enable the chat.
If you wish to disable the chat, even temporarily, go to your course settings, choose the navigation tab, and disable the chat.
More Information
More information about the chat feature can be found here:
How do I use chat as an instructor?