What is the Chat tool?
The Canvas Chat tool is a simple, real-time messaging space available within Canvas courses. This article explains what it is, how it works, its limitations, and recommendations for effectively using it with your students. (NOTE: This tool is not the same as the Canvas Chat Support.)
Key Features:
Use Chat for live discussions such as:
- Virtual office hours
- Synchronous Q&A sessions
- Group or study discussions
- Scheduled help sessions
Moderation, permissions, and security:
- All messages remain visible to everyone in the course.
- You can not send messages to specific people, it is a whole group experience.
- Chat history cannot be hidden, deleted wholesale, or made private for specific groups.
- Only instructors can edit or delete any message.
- Students cannot edit or delete any messages, including their own.
Quick tips for instructors:
- Clearly communicate expectations for appropriate use and response times.
- Use Chat to foster community through informal conversation.
- Post announcements or module links if using Chat for scheduled events.
- Remember you can activate or deactivate Chat anytime via course settings.
How to Add the Chat Tool to Your Course:
The Chat tool is not located in the course navigation menu. Instructors can add Chat as an External Tool within a Module. To do this:
- Navigate to the course where you want to use Chat.
- Go to Modules, then click + on the module where you'd like to add the Chat tool.
- From the drop-down, select External Tool, and then choose Chat Tool.
Click add item to place the tool in the module.