I want to comment that the chats are very easy and very useful.
Students and teachers can use them to have brief conversations using abbreviations, short sentences and contractions in written English.
Also, this is a communication (socila software) which is faster and synchronimus. So, you are able to write a message and receive a reply in a few minutes.
I had the experience using a chat through my email account last Wednesday April 16th. The professor Katalina and some of my classmates of Communication and Culture, were discussing about some aspects of the deeper elements in American culture. The topic was very interesting and every member of the pannel had the opportunity of making comments and answering questions.
The professor made questions and tried to understand each members´ points of view. Besides, I took notes and this is a very important strategy for clarifying doubts.
To sum up, teachers can encourage students to use chats in order to analyse some topics. Rules about politeness, being cautious with spelling and messages´contents, and showing respect are necessary to be aware of.
