Overview: Online Communication

Description

This overview will help you learn about each method of online course communication found in Moodle ISU and when you might choose to use it.

This Guide Will Help You to Know:

• When to use the announcements forum

• When to use Moodle Messaging

• When to use a Zoom meeting

• Where to seek further assistance

When to use the Announcements forum

Use the Announcements forum to send general news and announcements about the course to all your students. Students will not be able to reply to announcement forum posts.

1. On the course page, click the Announcements forum

2. In the Announcements page, click Add a New Topic

3. Provide a subject and message (note click Advanced to access more features)

4. Click Post to forum

How to receive announcements

Students can access the announcements in four areas:

• The Announcements forum on the course page

• The Latest news block on the Dashboard or course page

• A notification email to the students' ISU Gmail account

• A push notification to the Moodle Mobile app sent to the student’s phone 

For notifications to work, students may need to adjust their preferences. Review the following resources: Forum Preferences [Faculty & Student], Moodle.org: Forum Preferences, and Moodle.org: Notifications

Warning: if the Course is hidden from students,  the Announcement's notification email won't be sent.

Update your Notification preferences:

1. Sign-in to Moodle ISU

2. Click on your name/picture

3. Select Preferences

4. On the Preference page, click Notification preferences

When to use Moodle Messaging

Use messaging when you need to send and receive private messages via Moodle. Conversations are stored within Moodle ISU. 

Users can send messages from one of the following platforms:

• The Messaging drawer

  1. Click the Messaging icon to expand the Messaging drawer

  2. In the Search text field, type the name of the recipient and click the Search icon

  3. From the list of contacts, select the desired recipient

  4. Write a message

  5. Click the Send icon

• The Moodle Mobile App

  1. Click the Messaging icon

  2. Click the Search icon, type the name of the recipient and click the Search icon

  3. From the list of contacts, select the desired recipient

  4. Write a message

  5. Click the Send icon

• The course Participants page (Teacher Only) 

  1. Select one or more users (​​​​​​​If the participants are on multiple pages, click the show all #)

  2. In the Select users… dropdown, click Send a message

  3. Write/compose a message, click Send a message

• The Completion Progress block (Teacher Only)

  1. In the completion progress block, click Overview of students

  2. Select one or more users

  3. In the Select users… dropdown, click Send a message

  4. Write a message, click Send message to

How to receive messages

Users can receive messages in the following areas

• The Messaging drawer

• The Moodle Mobile app

• A notification email to the user’s ISU Gmail account (Not able to direct reply in email)

For notifications to work, users may need to adjust their preferences. Review the following resources: Moodle.org: Messaging settings, and Moodle.org: Notifications.

Update your Notification preferences:

1. Sign-in to Moodle ISU

2. Click on your name/picture, Select Preferences

3. On the Preference page, click Notification preferences

Set up group messaging

When you create a group in any given course, there is an option to turn on Group messaging for that specific group. The instructor will need to add themselves to the group to participate in group messaging. Review the following resources on how to Set up groups and groupings. It’s recommended that after the course end date, that instructors turn off the Group messaging.

When to use a Zoom Meeting

Use a Zoom meeting to meet with users one-on-one or as a group in real-time. The instructor can add a Zoom meeting activity directly into the Moodle course. Review the following resources on how to: Create a Zoom meeting activity in Moodle ISU and Access a Zoom meeting activity in Moodle ISU.

Zoom has a waiting room feature so that the Host can admit participants one at a time. Enable this feature directly from the meeting through the Security icon. Review the following resources from Zoom.us: Waiting Room. 

Seek Further Assistance

For additional assistance please contact, ITRC at (208) 282-5880 or itrc@isu.edu