Use instant messages in myCourses
In this article:
Students do not have access to the classlist and will not be able to message their classmates unless they do a search for the student's name using the "friends" tab.
Message alerts and inbox
Students can use the Instant Messages tool to send and receive instant messages from other students in your course, whether online or offline. The Instant Messages tool is accessed through the Envelope icon on the top toolbar of all pages in myCourses.
The plain Envelope icon indicates that you have no new messages.
The envelope with an orange dot indicates that you have new / unread messages.
From the Inbox, you can:
View: filter the list of messages to show All messages, Unread messages, or Read messages.
Set messages as read or unread: select the checkbox beside one or more messages and then select Set Read or Set Unread to change the status of the selected message(s).
Delete: select the checkbox beside one or more messages and click Delete to permanently delete messages from your Inbox.
Change the number of messages displayed per page: scroll to the right and select a number from the drop-down list near the top-right corner of the page.
View and reply to messages
Select the Envelope icon on the top toolbar.
The author’s name and the first few lines of the text will appear in a drop-down area.
Select the message subject heading to view message in your Inbox.
Enter your reply in the textbox at the bottom of the window and select Send.
Send a message
On the Course Home page, select the Envelope icon on the top toolbar.
Select Instant Messages.
Select Friends at the top of the page.
To send a message to one user, click on the arrow on the right side of the page beside the recipient’s name.
OR
To send a message to multiple users, select the checkboxes beside their names and then select Message.Enter your message text and select Send.
As messages are exchanged, you can select the View All link to see the entire conversation, as shown below. These conversations remain accessible in your Inbox history.
Create a friends list
Your Friends list can include anyone from any course in which you are enrolled.
Add friends from a course
In the Instant Messages window, select Friends at the top of the page.
Use the search field to search for a student's name and check off the student's name.
Select Add.
Remove friends
In the Instant Messages window, select Friends at the top of the page.
Select the checkbox beside each friend you want to remove.
Select Remove.
In the pop-up window that appears, select Yes.
Change instant message settings
In the Instant Messages window, scroll to the far right and open Settings in the top-right corner of the page.
Filtering and Sorting options include:
Friends List Filter: show All friends or only friends who are Online in your Friends list.
Inbox: sort messages by sent date, first name, or last name.
Friends: sort your Friends list by first name or last name.
Select Save to apply the settings.
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While this resource is accessible worldwide, McGill University is on land which has served and continues to serve as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. Teaching and Learning Services acknowledges and thanks the diverse Indigenous peoples whose footsteps mark this territory on which peoples of the world now gather. This land acknowledgment is shared as a starting point to provide context for further learning and action.
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