To access a chat :

1. Select the relevant chat room
   
2. View the available chats
   
• Select the chat you’d like to enter, or
• Open by new chat by selecting “click here to enter the chat now” 
3. Your chat will open in a pop-up window
   
• Your text will show on the right-hand side
• Attendees will show on the left-hand side
4. Type your text in box at the bottom of the window 
   
5. Hit “enter” on your keyboard to send your message
   
6. End your chat by closing the browser window
   

Although chat logs should automatically save in Moodle, it’s best to save a copy of your transcript before ending your session to avoid loss (by choosing edit, select all, copy, and then pasting into a Word document that can be saved and emailed to everyone in the group) and permit immediate access. 

The Moodle chat is not like Skype or other instant messaging systems. It is not as advanced which results in the following:

• It is built on a short delay between when you type/send the message and when the message appears
  
• When it refreshes, it does “ripple”
  
• You can’t see if someone else is online (and active in a chat) until you start typing
  
• You can’t tell if someone else is typing a message which could leave you feeling uncertain whether to type or remain “quiet.” When in doubt, just ask.
• You can copy and paste into the chat window; however, no formatting will copy over