How to Use the Chat

On Engageli, you can send direct messages to individual learners, a co-instructor, staff (instructors and TAs), individual tables, or the entire class.

   

1. Select your intended recipients by clicking the caret on the right side. The default channel is “Everyone.” (Note: To send direct messages to individual tables, you have to join the table first.)

2. Enter your message.

3. Click the smiley face to add emojis.

4. Click the send button or return or enter key on your computer.

5. You can also attach files to messages, and download the chat thread at the end of class.

Engagement Tips! In addition to communicating with learners and TAs, instructors can use the Chat feature to:

Make announcements to dedicated channels (Everyone or Staff)

• You can send a message to the “Everyone” channel before you switch audio modes from Table to Room mode after a group activity so learners know they’ll be heard by everyone after the switch.

Add prompts for activities

• You can add instructions for activities to the “Everyone” channel when learners are in Table mode and are using other collaborative features such as Google docs, whiteboards, or video clips.

Communicate with learners while playing video clips

• Learners are automatically muted when you show YouTube videos or other video clips, so you can ask learners to communicate through the Chat.

• You could have learners discuss the video clip using the “My Table” channel or message learners about specific time points, themes, or important ideas in the clip.

Upload and share presentations and documents

• If you are using group projects, you could upload group presentations or peer feedback rubrics in the “Everyone” channel so learners can review presentations and rate their peers.

Upload and share reference files

• You can upload research articles about specific topics to the “Everyone” channel so that learners can understand the type of references they should be using for their own research papers.

Upload and share activities

• You can join individual tables and upload table-specific activity instructions in the “My Table” channel so that each table gets specific instructions.

Facilitate icebreakers

• If you have many learners who can’t turn their mics or cameras on, you can pose icebreaker questions in the “Everyone” channel such as:

  • Any “This or That” type question (feel free to use questions in the This and That Poll template).

  • Ask learners to use the Emoji menu to describe their day.

  • Use these icebreaker templates:

    • • University of Michigan Inclusive Teaching Icebreakers

      • 330 Icebreakers to Try with Your Team

    • You can upload Get to Know You Bingo files in the “Everyone” channel and learners can move to different Tables to get to know each other.

Solicite feedback from learners in real-time

• Pose content-based checks for understanding in the “Everyone” channel

  • You can instruct learners to message their answers privately to you as the instructor by selecting your name from the channel list.

Note: Chats messages are deleted for individuals as soon as you log out of the classroom or the class has ended.