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{{Chats}}
{{Chat}}
A chat is an [[Teacher_documentation#Activity_modules|activity]] that can be added to any course.


==General settings==
[[Image:Chat_setup.gif|thumb|Adding a chat]]
=== Name of this chat room ===
Begin by entering a name for your chat room. The name entered here will be the name that learners see in the course content area. Learners will click on this name to view the description of the purpose of the chat room and then to enter the chat. It is useful to name your chat room with a name that implies its purpose. For example, if you will be using your chat room for virtual office hours, then you might name your chat room “Virtual Office.” Alternatively, if the chat room is designed solely to give learners a place to socialize or discuss class activities, you might name the chat room “Student Lounge.”


===Introduction text===
==Adding a Chat to your course==


Type the description of the chat here. Include precise instructions for students regarding the subject of the chat.  
*With the editing turned on,in the section you wish to add your chat, click the "Add an activity or resource" link (or, if not present, the "Add an activity" drop down menu )and choose ''Chat'' All settings may expanded by clicking the "Expand all" link top right.


The introduction text is designed to welcome learners to the chat and to provide information regarding the purpose of the chat room. The introduction can be as simple or as complex as you would like. As an example, you could simply explain that the chat room is being made available for learners to collaborate on group projects. A chat could also be used for structured discussions of course content; in that case, the Introduction text might present a specific list of questions to be addressed or the protocols to be followed.


It might also be beneficial to let the learners know in the Introduction text who will be able to see the transcripts of the chat sessions. The instructor will be able to see every part of any conversation that takes place in the chat room. However, you can choose to make these transcripts visible to all learners as well. When working with younger learners, experience has revealed that discussions in the chat rooms are more likely to be on-task and appropriate when the learners are aware that their discussions can be viewed by the instructor and/or other learners. The same may well be true with adult learners.
===General===
{|
|[[File:chatgeneral26.png|General settings expanded by default]]
|}


===Name of this chat room===
*Whatever you type here will form the link learners click on to enter the chat so it is helpful to give it a name that suggests its purpose - for example "Student council discussion" or "Field trip planning meeting".
===Description===
Type the description of the chat here. Include precise instructions for students regarding the subject of the chat. Click the icon on the left to expand the toolbar, and drag the bottom right of the text box out to expand it.
===Display description on course page===
If this box is ticked, the description will appear on the course page just below the name of the Chat.
==Chat sessions==
(These settings are collapsed by default.)
{|
|[[File:chatsessions25.png|thumb|450px|Chat sessions settings expanded.]]
|}
===Next chat time===
===Next chat time===


The day and hour of the next chat session.  
*The day and hour of the next chat session. This will appear in the calendar so students know the schedule but it doesn't stop them accessing the chatroom at any other time.
*If you don't want them in the chatroom at other times, then hide it (with the eye icon) or use [[Conditional activities]] to restrict access.
*If you don't wish to schedule chat times then ignore this and choose from the next settings.
 
'''Note:'''For courses involving users across different time zones, it is useful to know that the time you set here will be adjusted to match the time zone of the user viewing it.
 
===Repeat/publish sessions===
 
*There are  four options for scheduling  future chat sessions:
 
# '''Don't publish any chat times'''- there are no set times and students are welcome to chat at any time.
# '''No repeats - publish the specified time only'''- only  the Next chat  time will be published.  This could be used to schedule special events or meetings or simply to help learners identify a common time in which they can expect to find other learners in the chat room.
# '''At the same time every day'''- Daily chats are useful for scheduling daily office hours or work sessions with learners.
# '''At the same time every week'''--This setting will  schedule a chat for the same day and time every week, which could be useful for instance for meeting and reviewing key ideas and questions related to the week’s content/assessment.
 
===Save past chat sessions===
 
*Choose from the dropdown how many days to save - or save everything by selecting ''Never delete messages''
*If you have any concerns about discussions that might take place in your chat room, you may want to keep transcripts to check the suitablility of what is discussed. If your learners are using the chatroom to collaborate on a group project you won't want to delete the messages until the project is complete.
 
===Everyone can view past sessions===
 
*Decide here whether or not allow everyone to view past chat sessions. (Teachers can always view past sessions)
 
==Common module settings==
(These settings are collapsed by default.)
 
See [[Common module settings]]


If you wish to schedule chat sessions for or with your learners, then you can use this setting to publish a time and date for the next chat. The date you select here will be displayed on the course calendar along with a link to the chat room. Realize that setting a date and time here will not restrict access to the room at other times, it is merely a tool to communicate with your learners; to let them know when they can expect to find you or other learners in the chat room. If you wish to make the chat room unavailable, you must hide it from the learners.
==Restrict access/Activity completion==
(These settings are collapsed by default)


To choose a chat time, use the drop down menus to choose the day, month and year. Then, set a time with the last two fields on the line. Note: the time is based on a 24 hour clock or “military time,” so 14:00 refers to 2:00 p.m.
These settings are visible if [[Conditional activities]] and [[Activity completion]] have been enabled in the site and the course.


For courses involving users across different time zones, it is useful to know that the time you set here will be adjusted to match the time zone of the user viewing it.
==Locally assigned roles==


If you do not wish to publish chat times, then you can disregard the date and time settings here and then choose not to publish them in the next step.  
*In ''Administration > Chat administration > Locally assigned roles'' selected users can be given additional roles in the activity, such as the capability to delete chat logs.


===Repeat sessions===
*Role permissions for the activity can be changed in ''Administration > Chat administration > Permissions''.


You can choose any out of four options allowing to schedule the future chat sessions:
==Site administration settings==


# '''Don't publish any chat times'''--If you prefer not to schedule chats for the chat room, select this setting. This option will cause Moodle to disregard the date and time set above for the Next chat time. Not publishing chat times could be used to indicate to learners that the chat room is available at all times for them to use.
The chat module has additional settings which may be changed by an administrator in ''Administration > Site administration > Plugins > Activity modules > Chat''. They depend on the chat method which has been selected:
# '''No repeats - publish the specified time only'''--This setting will cause only the date and time selected for the Next chat time to be published. The date and time will be displayed on the course calendar as well as when the learners click on the title of the chat room in the course content area. Published chat times could be used to schedule special events or meetings or simply to help learners identify a common time in which they can expect to find other learners in the chat room.
# '''At the same time every day'''--In some situations, you may need to schedule a chat session for the same time every day; this setting allows for this option. The scheduled chats will then be based on the time of day you selected above for the Next chat time. Scheduled daily chats are useful for scheduling daily office hours or work sessions with learners.
# '''At the same time every week'''--To schedule a chat for the same day and time every week, select this option. When this option, the scheduled chats will be on the same day of the week at the same time you indicated in the Next chat time area above. If you regularly give assessments on the same day of the week, this setting could be useful for scheduling review sessions prior to each assessment. You could also schedule a weekly chat to meet and review key ideas and questions related to the week’s content—assessment or not.


===Save past sessions===
[[File:Chatmethod.png]]


You can determine the number of days.  
===Ajax===
*This is the default method. It works everywhere but if many people are chatting it can put a large load on the server. Its particular settings are: 
**'''Refresh user list'''  - choose the number of seconds after which the user list is refreshed
**'''Disconnect timeout''' - choose the number of seconds after which we detect a user has disconnected.


When users (two or more) participate in a chat session, a record, or complete transcript of the session is created. As the instructor, you can choose how long these transcripts are saved and available for viewing. You may wish to never delete the messages from a special chat room used for discussions between learners and visiting authors, but you may choose to keep transcripts from an open, informal chat room for only 30 days.  
===Normal method===
*The particular settings for this method are:
**'''Refresh room''' - choose the number of seconds after which the room is refreshed
**'''Update method''' - choose how to update the chatroom - "Keep alive" or "Stream" strategy. Stream works better but your sever might not support it.


If you have any concerns about discussions that might take place in your chat room, you may want to keep transcripts for an extended period of time to allow the transcripts to be used for documentation. Likewise, you may find the documentation provided by the transcript to be useful for accreditation or evaluative purposes. Another consideration is how long you expect your learners to need access to the transcript. For instance, if learners are using the chat room to collaborate on a group project, you won’t want to delete the messages until that project is completed and assessed.
===Chat server daemon===
*A daemon is a program that runs all the time in the background. In this case it's a PHP script, listening to a particular port on your server, accepting and giving out chat information.If you intend to use the chat activity a lot, then you should consider using a chat server daemon to reduce server load.Its particular settings are:
**Server name
**Server IP address
**Server port
**Max users


===Everyone can view past sessions===
Then you need to start the chat daemon script from the command line:
 
cd moodle/mod/chat
php chatd.php --start &
 
How to stop the chat daemon script:


You can decide here whether or not allow everyone to view past chat sessions.
Moodle staff, please give details!


Instructors in a course can always view transcripts from sessions in the chat rooms. However, you also have the option to make these chat transcripts available to all of the learners in the course. If you select Yes for this setting, learners can click on the title of the chat room and then view past sessions to see any interactions that have taken place in the chat room. If you select No here, then only the instructors in the course will have access to the transcripts. If learners need access to a specific transcript though, the instructor can always copy the transcript and share it with learners in the form of a document.
One option is to restart the server via the command line:


==Common module settings==
sudo reboot


===Group mode===
==Chat capabilities==
Another location to set the group mode for the activity. If group mode is forced in the course settings then this setting will be ignored.


===Visible===
*[[Capabilities/mod/chat:chat|Access a chat room]]
Changing the Visible setting from "Show" or "Hide" is the equivalent of opening or closing the eye next to the resource or activity. If you choose Show, then students in the course will be able to see this chat. If you choose Hide, then only someone with teacher or administrative permissions in the chat will be able to see it.
*[[Capabilities/mod/chat:deletelog|Delete chat logs]]
*[[Capabilities/mod/chat:exportparticipatedsession|Export chat session which you took part in]]
*[[Capabilities/mod/chat:exportsession|Export any chat session]]
*[[Capabilities/mod/chat:readlog|Read chat logs]]
*[[Capabilities/mod/chat:addinstance|Add a new chat]]


===ID number===
==See also==
The ID number may be used in 3rd party integrations and grade calculations (in Moodle 1.9 onwards).
* [http://youtu.be/TFRCZ21tvNk The Chat actvitiy in Moodle 2.x] MoodleBites video on YouTube 


[[de:Chat anlegen]]
[[de:Chat konfigurieren]]
[[cs:Přidání/úprava chatovací místnosti]]
[[fr:Ajouter/modifier un chat]]
[[fr:Ajouter/modifier un chat]]
[[es:Configuraciones de chat]]

Latest revision as of 15:05, 25 February 2016


Adding a Chat to your course

  • With the editing turned on,in the section you wish to add your chat, click the "Add an activity or resource" link (or, if not present, the "Add an activity" drop down menu )and choose Chat All settings may expanded by clicking the "Expand all" link top right.


General

General settings expanded by default

Name of this chat room

  • Whatever you type here will form the link learners click on to enter the chat so it is helpful to give it a name that suggests its purpose - for example "Student council discussion" or "Field trip planning meeting".

Description

Type the description of the chat here. Include precise instructions for students regarding the subject of the chat. Click the icon on the left to expand the toolbar, and drag the bottom right of the text box out to expand it.

Display description on course page

If this box is ticked, the description will appear on the course page just below the name of the Chat.

Chat sessions

(These settings are collapsed by default.)

Chat sessions settings expanded.

Next chat time

  • The day and hour of the next chat session. This will appear in the calendar so students know the schedule but it doesn't stop them accessing the chatroom at any other time.
  • If you don't want them in the chatroom at other times, then hide it (with the eye icon) or use Conditional activities to restrict access.
  • If you don't wish to schedule chat times then ignore this and choose from the next settings.

Note:For courses involving users across different time zones, it is useful to know that the time you set here will be adjusted to match the time zone of the user viewing it.

Repeat/publish sessions

  • There are four options for scheduling future chat sessions:
  1. Don't publish any chat times- there are no set times and students are welcome to chat at any time.
  2. No repeats - publish the specified time only- only the Next chat time will be published. This could be used to schedule special events or meetings or simply to help learners identify a common time in which they can expect to find other learners in the chat room.
  3. At the same time every day- Daily chats are useful for scheduling daily office hours or work sessions with learners.
  4. At the same time every week--This setting will schedule a chat for the same day and time every week, which could be useful for instance for meeting and reviewing key ideas and questions related to the week’s content/assessment.

Save past chat sessions

  • Choose from the dropdown how many days to save - or save everything by selecting Never delete messages
  • If you have any concerns about discussions that might take place in your chat room, you may want to keep transcripts to check the suitablility of what is discussed. If your learners are using the chatroom to collaborate on a group project you won't want to delete the messages until the project is complete.

Everyone can view past sessions

  • Decide here whether or not allow everyone to view past chat sessions. (Teachers can always view past sessions)

Common module settings

(These settings are collapsed by default.)

See Common module settings

Restrict access/Activity completion

(These settings are collapsed by default)

These settings are visible if Conditional activities and Activity completion have been enabled in the site and the course.

Locally assigned roles

  • In Administration > Chat administration > Locally assigned roles selected users can be given additional roles in the activity, such as the capability to delete chat logs.
  • Role permissions for the activity can be changed in Administration > Chat administration > Permissions.

Site administration settings

The chat module has additional settings which may be changed by an administrator in Administration > Site administration > Plugins > Activity modules > Chat. They depend on the chat method which has been selected:

Chatmethod.png

Ajax

  • This is the default method. It works everywhere but if many people are chatting it can put a large load on the server. Its particular settings are:
    • Refresh user list - choose the number of seconds after which the user list is refreshed
    • Disconnect timeout - choose the number of seconds after which we detect a user has disconnected.

Normal method

  • The particular settings for this method are:
    • Refresh room - choose the number of seconds after which the room is refreshed
    • Update method - choose how to update the chatroom - "Keep alive" or "Stream" strategy. Stream works better but your sever might not support it.

Chat server daemon

  • A daemon is a program that runs all the time in the background. In this case it's a PHP script, listening to a particular port on your server, accepting and giving out chat information.If you intend to use the chat activity a lot, then you should consider using a chat server daemon to reduce server load.Its particular settings are:
    • Server name
    • Server IP address
    • Server port
    • Max users

Then you need to start the chat daemon script from the command line:

cd moodle/mod/chat
php chatd.php --start &

How to stop the chat daemon script:

Moodle staff, please give details!

One option is to restart the server via the command line:

sudo reboot

Chat capabilities

See also