TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 1. Overview & Introduction
- 2. Prerequisites & Requirements
- 3. Getting Started
- 4. Core Features & Functions
- 5. Step-by-Step Workflows
- 7. Technical Information
- 8. Troubleshooting
- 9. Related Features & Cross-References
- 10. Additional Resources
1. Overview & Introduction
The Instant Messaging system in itslearning provides real-time communication between teachers, students, and administrators. Use instant messaging to have quick conversations with individual students, facilitate group discussions, communicate with entire courses, or provide timely feedback on student work. The system supports text messages, file attachments, threaded conversations, and moderation capabilities for teachers and administrators.
Teachers and administrators can moderate conversations by deleting messages, removing participants from group chats, and managing course conversations. Students can report abusive messages to teachers for review. All users with appropriate course permissions can access instant messaging through the chat bubble icon in the main menu.
Note: Teachers and admins can only moderate conversations they are part of. Private conversations between students cannot be accessed or moderated unless reported.
2. Prerequisites & Requirements
User permissions required:
- Active user account in itslearning
- Course enrolment (for course-specific messaging)
- Teacher or admin role (for moderation features)
- Mass messaging privilege (for administrators sending organisation-wide messages)
3. Getting Started
3.1. Accessing the Messages Panel
To access instant messages, click the chat bubble icon in the main menu (top right of your screen). A badge displays the number of unread messages when you have new messages.
The messages panel opens as a slide-in panel showing your conversation list.
3.2. Understanding the Interface
The messages interface includes:
Main menu icon: Chat bubble with unread message count badge
Messages panel: Shows list of all conversations with:
- Different icons/avatars for different conversation types
- Conversation name or participant names
- Preview of last message (one line)
- Timestamp of last activity
- Visual indicators for unread messages
New message button: Green button to start new conversations
Search field: Search across all conversations or within a specific conversation
4. Core Features & Functions
4.1. Conversation Types
itslearning supports five conversation types:
1:1 conversations: Direct messages between two people
Group conversations: Manually created groups with multiple participants where all members can see all messages
Course conversations: Automatically includes all current course participants. When new students enrol, they join the conversation automatically.
Project conversations: Messages within project groups
Individual messages sent to multiple people: Separate 1:1 conversations with each recipient (appears as "Sent to X people" in conversation list)
4.4. Conversation Settings
Access conversation settings by clicking the settings icon (gear symbol) within any conversation.
Available for all conversations:
- Search in conversation
- Mark as unread
- View participants (avatar, name, title, role)
- Your relationship (shows courses where you're the teacher, for example)
Additional options for group conversations:
- Rename conversation
- Report abuse
- Leave conversation
- Close conversation
- Add participants
- Remove participants
Additional options for course conversations:
- Close conversation
- Delete conversation (teachers and admins only)
- Link to course participant page
4.5. Message Options
Click the three-dot menu (⋯) on any message to access options:
For your own messages:
- Edit
- Delete message
- Forward
- Mark as unread
For messages from others:
- Forward
- Mark as unread
- Report abuse
5. Step-by-Step Workflows
5.1. Starting a New Conversation
Objective: Create a new conversation with one or more recipients
Steps:
- Click the chat bubble icon in the main menu
- Click "New message" (green button)
- In "Add recipients" field, search for:
- Individual people by name
- Course name
- Project name
- Select recipients from search results
- For multiple recipients, choose:
- "Group conversation" for shared discussion
- "Individual messages" for separate conversations
- Type your message in the text field
- (Optional) Click the paperclip icon to attach files
- Click the green arrow button to send
Result: Your message is sent and appears in the conversation list
Next steps: Monitor the conversation for responses, which update instantly
Article with images: Getting started with messages
5.2. Sending Messages and Files
Objective: Send messages with or without file attachments
Steps:
- Open an existing conversation or start a new one
- Type your message in the "Write message to..." field
- To attach a file:
- Click the paperclip icon
- Select file from your device (20MB limit)
- File attaches to your message
- Click the green arrow button to send
Notes:
- You can send files without text
- Unsupported file formats display error: "Sorry, you can't send (name of file)"
- Web links are automatically blue and clickable
- Messages update instantly
Result: Your message with attachment appears in the conversation
5.3. Managing Group Conversations
Objective: Add or remove participants from group conversations
To add participants:
- Open the group conversation
- Click the settings icon (gear symbol)
- In "Participants" section, type name in search field
- Click "Add participants" (green button)
- Selected person joins the conversation
To remove participants (teachers and admins):
- Open the group conversation
- Click the settings icon
- Scroll to "Participants" list
- Click the three-dot menu (⋯) next to the participant
- Select "Remove"
- Participant is removed from conversation
Note: Teachers who join via reported conversations are not formal participants and cannot be removed.
Result: Participant list updates immediately
5.4. Searching for Messages
Objective: Find specific messages or content within conversations
Search within a single conversation:
- Open the conversation
- Click the settings icon
- Select "Search in conversation"
- Enter search term (text, attachment names, or links)
- Review search results
Search across all conversations:
- From the messages panel, use the search field at the top
- Enter search term
- Review matching conversations
Limitations:
- Cannot search for emojis
- Cannot search in weekly course updates
- Cannot search in mass message conversations
- Cannot search for specific people (currently scoped out)
Result: Relevant messages or conversations appear in results
5.5. Deleting Messages (Teachers and Admins)
Objective: Remove inappropriate or unwanted messages
Steps:
- Locate the message to delete
- Click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the message
- Select "Delete message"
- Confirm deletion when prompted
Result:
- All participants see: "This message was removed by [Teacher Name]"
- Reporter identity remains anonymous except in 1:1 conversations
- Message content is permanently deleted
Next steps: Continue monitoring conversation or take additional moderation action
5.6. Removing Users from Conversations
Objective: Remove disruptive users from group chats
Steps:
- Open the group conversation
- Click the settings icon (gear symbol)
- Scroll to "Participants" section
- Click the three-dot menu (⋯) next to the user
- Select "Remove"
- User is removed immediately
Requirements:
- Teacher or admin role
- Must be participant in the conversation
- Only works for group conversations (not course conversations)
Result: User can no longer send or receive messages in that conversation
5.7. Managing Course Conversations
Objective: Close or delete course conversations to manage communication
To close a course conversation:
- Open the course conversation
- Click the settings icon
- Select "Close conversation"
- Confirm action
Result:
- All participants see "Closed conversation" status
- No new messages can be sent
- Conversation history remains visible
- Conversation can be reopened from settings
To delete a course conversation (teachers and admins):
- Open the course conversation
- Click the settings icon
- Select "Delete conversation"
- Confirm deletion
Result:
- Participants can view conversation history but cannot send new messages
- Teacher can restore conversation by accessing the original report (if conversation was reported)
- New course conversation can be started
7. Technical Information
7.1. SignalR Real-Time Updates
itslearning uses SignalR technology to provide instant message delivery. Conversations update automatically when:
- New messages are sent
- Participants are added or removed
- Messages are edited or deleted
- Conversation settings change
No page refresh required for updates.
7.2. File Attachment Limitations
Maximum file size: 20MB per attachment
Sending files:
- Click paperclip icon when composing message
- Files can be sent without accompanying text
- Multiple files can be attached
Unsupported formats: System displays "Sorry, you can't send (name of file)"
Supported actions:
- All conversation participants can view and download attachments
- Attachments appear with file icon and name
7.3. Large Course Restrictions
300 participant limit applies to individual messaging
When a course or group exceeds 300 participants:
- Individual messages are not possible
- Only group messages can be sent
- Course conversations remain functional
Decision matrix:
| Scenario | Individual/Group Option | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 1 individual participant | No | Treated as Group |
| 2+ individual participants | Yes | Choose group or individual |
| Course/project ≤300 participants | Yes | Choose group or individual |
| Course/project >300 participants | No | Course conversation only |
| Course/project >300 + additional recipients | No | Error: cannot send to >300 |
| Combined unique participants >300 | Yes | Error after sending attempt |
7.4. Disabled Messaging Feedback
Administrators can disable messaging for specific users or groups. When teachers attempt to message users with messaging disabled, they receive clear feedback:
1:1 Messages: Notification that message cannot be delivered
Group Conversations: Information that user cannot participate
Course Conversations: Feedback about user's inability to receive messages
This helps teachers understand why messages fail and adjust their communication approach.
7.5. Mass Messaging System
Purpose: Administrators send one-way messages to members of their hierarchies
Access: Admin > Mass messaging
Note: In the new instant messaging interface, the link to mass messaging has been removed from the messages panel. Access mass messaging through "New Message" or the Admin menu.
Display: Mass messages appear in the IM panel with a distinctive avatar icon
For more information: See [Mass messaging article]
8. Troubleshooting
8.1. Common Issues
Problem: Cannot find a specific conversation
Solution:
- Use the search field in the messages panel
- Check if conversation was closed or deleted
- Verify you're searching in the correct account/course
- Check if participant left the conversation
Problem: Badge shows incorrect number of unread messages
Solution:
- Open each conversation with unread indicator
- Scroll through conversation to mark messages as read
- Refresh your browser if badge doesn't update
- Log out and log back in if issue persists
Problem: Cannot send message to specific user
Solution:
- Check if user has messaging disabled (you'll receive notification)
- Verify user is enrolled in relevant course
- Confirm fixed communication rules allow messaging this person
- Check if you have appropriate permissions
8.2. Message Delivery Problems
Problem: Message failed to send
Causes and solutions:
- No internet connection: Check network and retry
- File too large: Reduce file size or use alternative sharing method
- Unsupported file format: Convert file or use supported format
- Recipient has messaging disabled: Choose alternative communication method
- Course exceeds 300 participants: Use course conversation instead of individual messages
Problem: File attachment won't upload
Solution:
- Verify file size is under 20MB
- Check file format is supported
- Try different file format if needed
- Use course resources for larger files
- Split large files into smaller parts
8.3. Performance Issues
Problem: Messages not updating in real-time
Solution:
- Refresh your browser
- Check internet connection stability
- Disable browser extensions that might block SignalR
- Clear browser cache
- Try different browser
Problem: Conversation loads slowly with many messages
Solution:
- Search for specific content instead of scrolling
- Close and reopen conversation
- Report performance issues to itslearning support
- Consider starting new conversation for new topics
9. Related Features & Cross-References
Getting Started:
- [Getting Started: The Message System] - Quick start guide for first-time users
Communication Features:
- Announcements - Alternative for course-wide notifications
10. Additional Resources
Service Status
Check the current status of itslearning services
→ https://status.itslearning.com/
Ideas Portal
Share your ideas and help shape the future of itslearning!
→ https://ideas.itslearning.com/
Roadmap
Check out our roadmap!
→ https://itslearning.com/global/roadmap/