ANSWER: GROUP MANAGER - CHAT AND/OR WHITEBOARD ROOMS

To make it easy for groups to collaborate online, you can create chat rooms, whiteboard rooms, or combined chat and whiteboard rooms for groups. Group members can use chat rooms to engage in real-time conversations with other group members. Example: Study groups can use chat rooms to communicate in real-time about exams for which they are studying

Group members can use whiteboard rooms to draw objects, insert text, import images, and create slide shows that can be viewed by other group members. Example: Students working on a group project can use a whiteboard room to plan the project and share project ideas.

You can create one chat or whiteboard room for one group; create one chat or whiteboard room for multiple groups; or at one time, create multiple chat or whiteboard rooms, one for each group that you select.

IMPORTANT: For group members to have access to a room created for a group, you must add Chat to Course Tools or add a content link to the room in the Course Content tool.

Step 1: From the Teach tab, click the  Group Manager on the Instructor Tools menu.

Step 2: From the Group Manager screen:

• To create chat or whiteboard rooms for one or multiple groups, next to each group for which you want to create a chat or whiteboard room, select the check box.
• To create chat or whiteboard rooms for all groups, in the table heading row, select the check box. All groups are selected.
• From the Create Group Activity drop-down list, select Chat/whiteboard room and click the Go arrow.

Step 3: On the Create Chat or Whiteboard Room screen:

• If you are creating a chat or whiteboard room for only one group, the Name text box contains the group's name. In the Name text box, enter or edit the name for the room. If you selected more than one group and are creating a room for each group, the name that you enter will be appended with the group's name.
  • For example, if you are creating rooms for groups named History Assignment Group 1 and History Assignment Group 2 and you enter the name Chat Room, the rooms will be named Chat Room - History Assignment Group 1 and Chat Room - History Assignment Group 2.
• Enter a description for the room.
• For Type, select whether the room will be Chat and Whiteboard, Chat only, or Whiteboard only.
• In the Maximum users text box, enter the maximum number of group members allowed in the room at once.
• Under Group Work, the groups that you selected in step one above are listed. If you selected more than one group, do one of the following
  • To create one room for each of the groups that you selected, select Create a room for each of the following groups.
  • To create one room for all of the groups that you selected, select Create one room for the following groups.
  • TIP: If you decide that you do not want to create a room for one of the groups that you selected, next to the group's name, click it's Remove icon. The screen updates and the group is removed.
• To further modify the room settings, next to More Options, click the Expand/Collapse icon.
• Specify the following room settings (if these are available to you):
  • For combined rooms, if you want to allow members to hide Chat or Whiteboard so that only the other displays, select Allow user to hide or show Chat or Whiteboard in a combined room.
  • If you want to allow members to send private Chat messages, select Allow private Chat messages.
  • To maintain a Chat room log, select Maintain Chat room log.
  • To allow members to identify themselves in the room using an alias, select Allow alias.
• Click Save. The Group Manager screen appears and the room is added to Chat and Whiteboard.

If you have any further questions, please contact us for support. Thank you.
- WebCampus Support