Slack for Students

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• About Slack
• Accessing Slack for the First Time
• Filtering Slack to Show a Workspace
  • Desktop App
  • Mobile App
• Using Slack
  • Channels
  • Direct Messages (DMs)
  • Notifications
  • Search Function
  • Personal Settings
• Additional Support/Resources

About Slack

Slack is a communication tool that allows for quick messaging among instructors, TAs, and  students while creating a searchable space that anyone in a course can use to quickly have their questions answered. The Slack integration with Canvas provides a Coursebot that notifies students about changes to their Canvas course, (e.g. a new announcement or a due date has been updated). 

Accessing Slack for the First Time

Filtering Slack to Show a Workspace

By default, Slack hides your course's workspace. You will need to use these steps to make a course workspace visible:

Desktop App

a.) If you have not used Slack for an online course before, you will only see the Penn Online Learning workspace, which is your course's workspace--you can proceed to step 3 if this the case.

b.) If you have used Slack for an online course before, please click the downward-pointing arrow under "All Workspaces" and select your course from the list. The following screenshot shows an example of what this looks like

Mobile App

a.) If you have not used Slack for an online course before, you will only see the Penn Online Learning workspace, which is your course's workspace--you can proceed to step 3 if this the case.

b.) If you have used Slack for an online course before, please click the downward-pointing arrow under "All Workspaces" and select your course from the list. The following screenshot shows an example of what this looks like

Using Slack

Below you will find key features of Slack outlined for you as well as a short (0:46) introduction video to main Slack features. Please note that your instructor may also give you additional instructions on how to use Slack in their course. 

Channels

Slack is made up of a workspace, which is the main screen users see for the course. This workspace is broken up into channels which each have a different subject based on what should be discussed there. These will be found along the left side of the slack workspace and have a # sign in front of them.

For instance, all Slack courses will have a #general channel that all students can use for general course questions and for saying "Hello!" Everyone in the course will see what a user posts in the general channel since it's a public channel for everyone in the course to post in. The instructor may also make special channels that are locked for just specific members to chat in; these are commonly used for group work.

Your instructor will create different channels based on how they would like students to use Slack. Please look for additional instructions from your instructor on how they prefer students to use the platform. If the instructor prefers that you create a channel for group work, here is information on how to create a channel in Slack.

It is best practice to try and keep conversations threaded in Channels so the channel does not get too busy.

Direct Messages (DMs)

Students can message anyone else in the class privately by selecting the student's name on the bottom left of the Slack workspace underneath the channel section. 

While private conversations can be useful from time to time, if you have a question that the whole class may benefit from, please consider posting in a public channel.

For more information on sending direct messages, please see Slack's Understanding Direct Messages guide.

Notifications

All members can tailor their Slack notification settings in the following ways:

• Members can configure notification triggers so they are alerted whenever they receive a direct message, are @ mentioned in a channel, or if a certain keyword is mentioned in a channel.
• Members can set up a notification schedule so they are only alerted to channel updates during a certain timeframe and any messages received during a quiet time are collected and saved for review the next time that member logs in.
• Members can also temporarily pause all notifications, completely mute a channel if the channel becomes too busy, or set notifications on a channel-by-channel basis if they want to get more granular.

We recommend setting up your notification preferences as soon as possible.

Search Function

Every channel in Slack is searchable. This is a great way of seeing if someone else previously answered the same question about an assignment before posting. 

To search in a channel, use the top search bar to type in the phrase or word you are looking for, or even the name of someone, and Slack will populate all mentions of that word or posts by that user.

For more information on how to search in Slack, please see Slack's Search guide.

Personal Settings

Profile

By clicking on your user initials inside Slack you will be able to edit your profile to say more about yourself and add a custom user profile image.

Personal Slack status 

This setting can be found by clicking on your profile picture or initials. This can be used to show others if you are available, do not wish to be disturbed, or are currently on vacation. Personal Slack status is completely customizable. To learn more about this feature please see Slack's Status and Availability guide.

Additional Support/Resources

• For additional Technical support, please reach out to online-learning-help@sas.upenn.edu.
• Slack Help Portal
• Slack's Quick Start Guide.