Chat Tool Revision

Are you using Chat in class? Post/email this information to students:
Students update your Chat user alias ...
Chat > Chat Settings > Type name and click the Save button.

Instructors must make the Chat link visible on the course navigation bar so students have access to the settings tool. Edit Course > Nav Bars > Lower Left tab > Select Chat in the left box and click the [>] button to move/enable the Chat link.

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This post regards a change we just made in the Desire2Learn (D2L) software on 10/1/08 and students editing their Chat Alias will be turned off on 1/1/09. Previously, in the chat tool, only the user-ID is shown. This is not very useful, since User-ID is the student’s ID (w + 7 digits), rather than an identifiable name. Some of you may have decided not to use the chat tool for that reason. As of earlier today, we have changed a system option which will display the chat alias if it is present, in place of the User-ID. This requires action on the student’s part, but gives you the option to instruct your students to create a chat alias for better identification, until the problem is fixed in other ways.

We have been working with D2L for a while to correct this. The 8.3.1 MR1 release (which we are tentatively planning to implement after fall and before spring semester) will allow greater flexibility to specify which value to use (first name + last name, nick name, etc.). We will provide greater detail of that change as we get closer to spring.