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ChatDear TLE:

I would like to create evening office hours so that my online students can contact me, but I don't want to give them my personal phone number. How can I communicate with them without giving out my number?

Private I Am

Dear Private I:

Having virtual office hours is an excellent way for both your online and on-campus students to be able to reach you, and it is not necessary to give them your home number. There are a couple of things you can do:

A. You can use the chat function within Blackboard.

  1. On the Teach or Build tab, go to Manage Course\Tools. Be sure that you have the "Who's Online" tool enabled.
  2. On the course tool menu, click on "Who's Online". Select the student you want to chat with.
  3. Send a chat invitation.

B. Ask your students to create a  Skype or Google account and use VoIP to speak with one another using voice.  You could also chat with one another using text if you prefer. For best performance, you should use a headset with a built in mic when using VoIP.

  1. http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/
  2. http://www.google.com/support/voice/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=115079

For more information, please contact the Teaching & Learning Enhancement unit.