Using the Conversations Tool in an ePortfolio

 

The Conversations tool facilitates collaboration and communication within an ePortfolio. Students and faculty can create comments with the ability to determine viewer permissions for each comment. Once a comment is added, those with the appropriate permission level can view and reply to it, thus providing a robust tool for collaborating and sharing feedback.

Starting a Conversation

To begin a conversation, click the Conversations button in the lower right corner of the ePortfolio (1).

Then, you can start your conversation in (2) or (3).

Formatting your Comment

After you type in your comment, you can format how the text displays. Just like Rich Text, you can apply text formatting such as Bolding, Italicizing, Underlining, Bulleted and Numbered Lists, Quotes, Equations, and Hyperlinks (1).

Setting Permissions on your Conversation

Setting Permissions for Groups

You can also specify who will have permission to view the Conversation you start. Set a permission level on your conversation by clicking on the level you want to see your conversation (1). For example, if you set the permission level to Editor, Editors, Publishers, and Admins of the ePortfolio will be able to see your conversation. You cannot set a Permission level to include Editors and Admins, but exclude Publishers.

Setting Permissions for Individuals

You can add specific people as conversation viewers by clicking Add (2). Only people with permission to view the ePortfolio can be added as conversation viewers.

Search (3) for the person to add by name, and click on a person’s profile to add them as a viewer (4).

Click Delete on a person (5) to deselect them. When comment and viewers are set as you wish, click Send (6).

Note: Once you Send your Conversation to the ePortfolio, you will not be able to go back and change the Permission level of the Conversation.

Viewing Conversations

While viewing your ePortfolio, click the Conversations button to view Conversation Markers (1, 3). Hovering the cursor over a Conversation Marker will show who started the conversation and when (2). The number on a Conversation Marker displays the total number of comments within the Conversation.

Click on a conversation marker to view the comments in the Conversation (4).

Conversations Notifications

When a user comments on your ePortfolio, you will receive a Digication Notification (1).

You will also be notified if you have participated in a Conversation in someone else’s ePortfolio and the thread is updated (2).

Editing and Deleting Conversations

If you would like to edit any of your comments, hover your cursor over your comment and select the Edit button (1) to reveal the text toolbar (2) for you to edit and format your text. You can save your changes by selecting the Edit button a second time or pressing Return on your keyboard.

If you would like to delete your comment, hover your cursor over your comment and click the Delete button (4). Or, you can delete an entire Conversation with its comments by clicking the Delete button on the Conversation window (3). You will need to confirm your deletion on the next screen to finalize the removal.

Archived Conversations

Editing Passages Referenced for Conversations

As you use your ePortfolio, changes will be made and published to update your content as you progress. If changes are made to a passage referenced for a Conversation, the Conversation and all of its comments will remain intact.

The image below shows a Conversation and its referenced passage before changes were published and after changes were published, with the Conversation remaining in place.

Deleting Passages Referenced for Conversations

If you completely remove the passage that is referenced for the Conversation, this will move the Conversation and all of its comments to the Conversation Archive.

The image below shows a Conversation and its referenced passage before the passage was deleted and after the passage was deleted, with the Conversation becoming archived.