Using the Classwize Chat

Classwize Chat allows teachers to communicate with students in real-time during an active class. Students can only chat with their teacher during an active class and can’t chat with other students.

Feature Availability

For teachers

Chat is an optional feature that can be enabled for your school by Linewize Support. If you can’t access this feature, contact your school's IT support for help or more information.

For students

• Classwize Chat is available to students who have Linewize Connect on their devices.
  Students using Connect for Chrome who are signed in to Google with their school accounts can send and receive messages from their teachers.
• Students with Connect for Windows or macOS can receive messages from their teacher but can’t send replies. Chat for these students works similarly to the one-way Announcement class tool.

Enabling and Disabling Chat

Teachers can enable Chat anytime during an active class session. It will automatically turn off when the class session ends. When you restart the class, you can reopen chat messages from previous sessions.

Enabling Chat:

1. Select Chat on the class toolbar.
2. On the Chat window, toggle Chat on.
3. Chat is enabled when the panel shows “Chat on” and the toggle is green.
   
   

Disabling Chat:

1. Select Chat on the class toolbar.
2. Toggle off Chat.
3. When Chat is disabled, the panel will show Chat off and the toggle is gray.
   
   

Changing your Chat username

Your Chat username is the name that students see when you send them a chat message. By default, Chat will use your email address as your username. However, you can change your Chat username anytime. To do this:

1. Select Account Settings on the menu bar.
   
   
   
   
2. The Account pop-up will appear. Select Account settings.
   
   
   
   
3. On the Account Settings dialog, enter your new chat username. This username will be visible to the students, and we recommend using the name your students would normally use to address you, such as “Mr. Smith”. You can use up to 153 letters, numbers, and special characters.
   
   
   
   
4. Select Save.

5. You can reopen the chat window by selecting the Chat button on the class toolbar.
   
   

Using Chat

There are three ways you can begin a chat with your students:

1. via the class toolbar.
2. via the student tile.
3. via Live View (Chrome only).

Using Chat via the class toolbar

1. To start a chat, select Chat on the class toolbar.
2. The Chat window will appear. You can search for a student or select them from the list.
   
   
   
   
3. Type in your message and hit Enter on your keyboard or select the Send button on the chat window.
4. The Chat window will pop up on the student’s screen. They can reply by typing their message and pressing Enter on their keyboard or selecting the Send button.
   
   

Using Chat via the student tile

1. Select the Chat icon on the student tile toolbar.
   
   
   
   
2. Enter your message and send it either by pressing Enter on your keyboard or selecting the Send icon on the chat window.
3. To close the Chat window at any point, select the X icon on the top-right of the window.

Using Chat via Live View (Chrome only)

1. In Live View, select Chat.
   
   
   
   
2. Chat will appear within the Live View window. Enter your message and send it either by pressing Enter on your keyboard or selecting the Send icon on the chat window.
3. To close the Chat window at any point, select the X icon on the top-right. Closing Live View will also close the Chat window. 

Replying to a student

1. When you have received a message from one of your students, a number will appear on the Chat button and on their Student Tile Toolbar. You will also receive a Google Chrome notification.
2. You will see a red number icon next to the student’s name. This means there are unread messages from that student.
3. Select the student’s name to open the Chat.
4. Enter your reply and select the Send icon or press Enter on your keyboard.

FAQ

What do my students see when they receive a Chat message?

Students will have a small chat button icon on their Chrome browser window. Clicking on this will open up Chat. When a teacher messages a student, the chat window will pop up on the student’s screen. They will need to select their active class. The student will see the message and will have the option to reply.

Why can't I see the Chat text box?

Your screen resolution may be too low. Classwize needs a minimum full-screen resolution of 720p. If you wish to view Classwize on a smaller browser window, try to zoom out your screen.

Can my students contact me 24/7?

No, students can only message you via Classwize Chat while your class is in session. Classwize chat automatically disables itself outside school time so students won't be able to contact you outside of school hours. If your student is in another teacher’s session, your student won’t be able to message you and you won’t be able to message them.

Why is my student not replying to me?

There are several different reasons why your student may not be replying to you.

• The student may not be using a Chrome browser: Two-way Chat currently only works on devices with a Chrome browser with the Connect extension installed.
• The student hasn’t signed in with their Google account: Students who haven’t signed into their Google account will be able to see your messages, but can’t reply.
• The student hasn’t clicked on the notification: Your student may simply have not seen the chat alert or be ignoring it. You may have to let them know it is you via another channel.

You can contact your school's IT support for more information about the versions of Connect being used at your school. If you are certain your student is using the Connect for Chrome extension on their managed BYO device, contact your school’s IT administrator for help.

Can chat sessions be monitored or seen by another person?

If the class has more than one teacher, all teachers of that class will be able to see all chat messages sent between teachers and students. School Manager users with the Owner/Global Admin permission can also log into any Classwize class and see chats between teachers and students, but cannot chat with students.

Can I access chat logs?

All chat sessions are logged and time-stamped by your school and may be kept for up to 12 months. Depending on your school’s policies, you may be able to request for copies of chat logs. See Requesting Classwize Chat Logs.

Can I set up group chats with multiple students?

Classwize Chat does not support group chat.

Can I send files to my students? Can I add pictures or screenshots to chat?

You can’t attach files to Classwize Chat yet.

Will chat work in Monitoring Mode classes?

No, Classwize Chat and all other interactive tools are disabled for monitoring mode classes.

My student can see my messages but can’t reply to them

This may mean that the student is using Connect for Windows or macOS, where chat is currently only one way (teacher to student). This is usually because your school's technology environment doesn't support the use of the Connect Chrome extension.