Using Chat

Overview
Chat is one of the two synchronous collaboration tools that Blackboard provides. It is a simple, text only chat that works similarly to an instant messenger where students and instructors can talk back and forth in real time for group discussion or lectures online.

Add chat to your course site using the Blackboard Control Panel:

1. Go to the course in which you wish to set up the chat session.
2. Select Control Panel in the course menu on the left.
3. Under Course Tools select Collaboration.
4. Select the +Collaboration Session button at the top of the page.
5. Provide a name for the Chat Session.
6. If you want your students to be able to access the session, make sure Available is set to Yes. You can then set start and end dates for the session, so that users can only join during those times.
7. If you wish to allow anonymous posting, select the box next to Allow Anonymous Posts. Please note that there is no way to tell who made a specific post if you allow this and the poster chooses to be anonymous.
8. To use the Chat tool, select that option from the drop down menu next to Choose tool for this Session.
9. Select Submit.
10. Select Ok.

Questions? E-mail help@campus.fsu.edu or call (850) 644-8004.