Communicating with Others

When you teach or take a fully online course, you can use communication tools that are available in the course, such as an electronic mail feature, chat rooms, and online discussions.

You use these tools to exchange feedback, offer opinions, provide guidance, and ask questions just as you would in a classroom course.

The following communication tools are available:

• Announcements. The Announcements tool allows Section Instructors to place important information in a prominent location in a course. Announcements can also appear as pop-up messages.
   
• Chat. The Chat tool allows you and others who are in the same course to chat with one another in real time while they are in the course. You can also use the Whiteboard feature in Chat to draw objects, enter text, import images, and create slide shows that can be viewed in real time.
   
• Discussions. The Discussions tool allows you and others who are in the same course to post messages and replies on specific topics relevant to the course. Section Instructors can evaluate the quality of messages, just as they would evaluate classroom participation.
   
• Mail. The Mail tool is an electronic mail feature that allows you and others who are in the same course to send messages and file attachments to one another.
   
• Who's Online. The Who's Online tool allows users who are logged in to the course system and enrolled in the same course to participate in chat sessions with one another. The Who's Online tool is similar to the Chat tool except it allows users who are enrolled in the same course to chat with each other outside of the course, from the My page.

NOTE: The placement of any of these tools in an online course depends on the Instructor, and may vary from course to course.