Messenger can be used for sending messages and exchanging photos, videos, stickers, audio, and files, as well as react to other users' messages and interact with bots. The service also supports voice and video calling. Even though the official name of Messenger is Facebook Messenger you can sign up and start using Messenger even if you don't have a Facebook account. In order to use Messenger for mentoring purposes each participant of the mentoring process must have signed up to use Messenger. If you don’t have a Facebook account, you can sign up for Messenger with your mobile phone number |
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Benefits:
- widely used and understood
- It is very user friendly and intuitive
- It can be used on computer, smartphone or tablet
- If you have facebook, you automatically get access to messenger
- most people already have the app and needs little training
- Messenger gives you the opportunity share files, communicate through talk or participate in private or group video calls free of charge if you have access to WIFI.
- very flexible to add videos, text,files and images
- You don't need to know the persons email or phone number - so allowing privacy
- Can create a closed group for learning/ sharing
- Can send private messages for personal communication/ feedback
- Can follow who is responding and track group conversations
Obstacles |
Solutions |
As it is possible to chat with several persons in different chats simultaneously it might make you loose focus |
You have to make the guidelines clear and agree that when you are in a professional chat focusing on mentoring you should only focus on one chat at the time |
It is easy to get lost in the feed, especially if there are many persons involved in the group chat and a lot of information is posted |
We recommend that you use messenger as a complement to e.g. a learning platform or blog |
You can’t send files through the smart phone messenger app |
Agree that you will send the file(s) in question when you are sitting by a computer |
Our top 10 tips for using Messenger for mentoring
- Create a group where you agree on communication and guidelines
- Set up rules for using messenger
- Agree when it is ok to leave a group
- Agree what content should be shared/discussed through Messenger
- We recommend using video calls as it is more personal than having group calls without the camera on
- Agree on what kind of files, pictures, photos, links and videos should be posted and what is not allowed to post
- Create separate work and private groups
- Make sure everyone knows how to add files, pictures, photos, links and videos
- If you want to discuss/analyze photos, videos etc send them before the group call.
- Explain the reason for sending a file, photo, picture, video etc