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.

Prerequisites

For teachers

Chat is an optional feature that your school's IT support can turn on. 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 Windows devices configured in Companion Mode or Connect for Chrome who are signed in to Google with their school accounts can send and receive messages from their teachers.
• Students with only 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.

Class types supported

Turning Chat On and Off

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

Turning On 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

Image 1: Classwize Chat toggle on

Turning Off Chat:

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

Image 2: Classwize Chat toggle off

Changing your Chat username

Your Chat username is the name students see when you send them a chat message. By default, your email address is used as your Username, but you can change this:

1. Select Account Settings on the menu bar.

Image 3: Account Settings on the Classwize menu bar

2. The Account pop-up will appear. Select Account settings.

Image 4: Account Settings button on the Classwize menu bar

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.

Image 5: Chat username setting in the Account Settings window

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. Through the class toolbar.
2. Through the student tile.
3. Through Live View (Windows Companion Mode and Chromebooks 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

Image 6: Chat window showing students and messages

3. Type in your message and press 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.

Image 7: Chat window with a student

Using Chat via the student tile

1. Select the Chat icon on the student tile toolbar. The icon looks like a simple speech bubble


Image 9: Chat button on a student tile

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 (Companion Mode and Chromebooks only)

1. In Live View, select Chat.

Image 10: Chat button on a Live View window

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 red dot 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 dot 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.