Many NAU instructors are choosing to call the Chat Section of WebCT their "Virtual Office Hours". So, in the context of your WebCT course, "Chat" and "Virtual Office Hours" should be considered synonomous.

Chat allows you, your classmates, and your instructor to engage in online conversations in real-time. Your course may have regularly scheduled meetings, or a specified time when the instructor will be available to chat.

To access the Chat Tool from the Homepage, click the icon labeled Communication Tools, and then the Chat icon. Or, if it is displayed in the Course Menu on the left, select it from there.

The above image shows the default Icon for the Chat, or Virtual Office Hours, Section. However, your instructor may choose to use a different icon for this section.

In your WebCT course, there are several 'rooms' (see figure below) set up to organize the chat by class groups, or topics. Your instructor will specify which rooms are to be used for specific tasks, or times. To access a room, simply click on the appropriate button.