7.1 Sending Bulk Messages to Students
As a teacher on VirtualX, you don’t have to send emails one by one or use external platforms like WhatsApp to keep your class informed. The platform gives you a built-in bulk messaging tool so you can communicate with all your learners at once, directly from the front end.
This helps you:
- Remind students about deadlines
- Give class-wide feedback
- Share updates or extra materials
- Keep everyone informed with one message
💬 What is a Bulk Message?
A bulk message is a single message you write once, and it is sent to:
- All learners in a specific course
- A selected group of learners (optional)
- Sometimes across multiple courses (if enabled)
💡 These messages appear in the learner’s VirtualX inbox, and may also be sent as email notifications or mobile push alerts (depending on settings).
🛠️ Steps: How to Send a Bulk Message
- Log into your VirtualX teacher account.
- Go to Dashboard > My Courses.
- Click on the course where you want to message learners.
- Select the “Admin” tab.
- Find and click on “Students” or “Communicate”.
- Tick the box to select all students, or select only certain learners.
- Click “Send Message” or “Bulk Message”.
- Type your message:
- Subject: e.g. Reminder: Quiz Tomorrow
- Message Body: Write your full update clearly
- Click Send.
✅ All selected learners will receive your message instantly.
📋 Where Learners See the Message
- Inside their Messages tab
- As a notification on their dashboard
- (Optional) As an email alert if enabled by admin
📱 If they’ve installed VirtualX as a PWA on their phone, they might also get a push notification.
🧑🏽🏫 Example in Action:
Ms. Phiri wants to remind her Grade 5 learners about their upcoming Life Skills assignment. She selects all learners in her course and sends a bulk message:
“Hi everyone! Please remember to upload your Week 3 assignment before Friday 2pm. If you have questions, feel free to ask.”
The message goes to all learners instantly—no need for emails or WhatsApp groups.
💡 Tips for Bulk Messaging
| Tip | Why It Helps |
| Use a clear subject | Makes it easy for learners to know what it’s about |
| Keep it short and to the point | Easier to read on phones or tablets |
| Be friendly and encouraging | Helps learners stay motivated |
| Use for reminders, not full lessons | Keep learning materials in the course, not in messages |
✅ Summary
Bulk messaging makes classroom communication quick, simple, and professional. You stay in control, and your learners stay informed—all without leaving the VirtualX platform.
7.2 Enabling Notifications Panel
The Notifications Panel on VirtualX helps you stay updated on everything happening in your digital classroom—without needing to check emails or messages all the time.
You’ll get alerts when:
- A learner submits an assignment
- A quiz is completed
- A message is received
- A new student joins the course
- A course is completed
These alerts appear directly on your dashboard and can also show up on your phone if you’ve installed VirtualX as a PWA (Progressive Web App).
🔔 What is the Notifications Panel?
It’s a small icon (usually shaped like a bell) at the top of your screen. When clicked, it shows a drop-down list of all recent activities related to your courses and students.
🛠️ Steps: How to Enable or Access the Notifications Panel
In most cases, the Notifications Panel is enabled by default. But here’s how to check and use it:
- Login to your VirtualX account.
- On the top right of your dashboard, look for the bell icon.
- Click the bell to open your Notifications Panel.
- You’ll now see:
- Quiz submission alerts
- New messages
- Assignment submissions
- Course enrolments or completions
✅ These updates are linked to real-time activity from your learners.
🔧 If You Don’t See the Notifications Panel
Your school administrator might have disabled it or customised your dashboard. You can request the admin to:
- Re-enable notifications for your profile
- Add the Notifications widget to your sidebar.
📱 PWA Notifications (Mobile Alerts)
If you’re using VirtualX on your phone as a PWA (Progressive Web App):
- You may be asked to allow notifications when installing the app.
- Once allowed, you’ll receive mobile pop-up alerts for key activities—just like WhatsApp or email alerts.
🧑🏽🏫 Example in Action:
Mr. Sithole, teaching Grade 10 Accounting, logs into VirtualX. He sees a red dot on the bell icon. He clicks it and sees:
- “Noluthando submitted Assignment 2.”
- “You received a message from Sibusiso.”
- “3 students completed your course.”
He quickly opens the links and takes action—all within minutes.
📌 Tips for Using Notifications Effectively
| Tip | Why It Helps |
| Check your bell icon daily | Stay updated without needing admin help |
| Click directly from alerts | Saves time navigating the course manually |
| Enable mobile notifications | Helps you respond quickly even when not at your laptop |
| Clear old notifications regularly | Keeps your panel tidy and focused on new updates |
✅ Summary
The Notifications Panel helps you stay on top of your class—without extra admin or delay. Whether you’re in the classroom or at home, you’ll always know when something important happens.
7.3 Using Course News & Announcements Feed
On VirtualX, each course has its own News & Announcements Feed. This is a built-in space where you, as the teacher, can post updates, reminders, changes, or motivational messages for all enrolled learners to see.
Think of it like your classroom noticeboard—but digital. It keeps everyone on the same page, without needing to message each learner one by one.
📣 What Is the Course News Feed?
It’s a live message board built into each course, where you can:
- Post new announcements
- Edit or delete past messages
- Pin important notices
- Share attachments (like PDFs or links)
Learners see this feed on their course dashboard as soon as they enter the course.
🛠️ Steps: How to Post in the News & Announcements Feed
- Login to your VirtualX account.
- Go to Dashboard > My Courses.
- Click on the course you want to update.
- From the course menu, click on “News”, “Announcements”, or “Course Feed” (naming depends on your school setup).
- Click “Add Announcement” or “Post Update”.
- Write your message. You can:
- Add a title (e.g. Important Quiz Update)
- Write the message body
- Attach files (if allowed)
- Add a YouTube/video link (optional)
- Click Post / Publish.
✅ Your message will now appear in the course feed for all learners to see.
📱 Where Learners See Announcements
- On the course page
- In their notification bell (if enabled)
- On their PWA/mobile dashboard
- Inside the Messages tab (if linked)
💡 They can reply or react to your post if comments are enabled.
🧑🏽🏫 Example in Action:
Ms. Kgatle, teaching Grade 8 Creative Arts, uses the Course News Feed to post:
“Reminder: Practical assignment due Friday. Please upload a photo of your artwork under Unit 3. Late submissions won’t be accepted.”
Learners see this update when they next open the course—and no one can say they didn’t know!
📌 When to Use the News & Announcements Feed
| Situation | Message Idea |
| 📅 Upcoming tests | “Quiz 2 opens on Monday at 9am. Study Units 1–3.” |
| 📝 Assignment reminders | “Don’t forget to submit before 3pm today.” |
| 🌟 Motivation | “Well done to everyone who completed Unit 5!” |
| 📎 Resource sharing | “New study guide added under Unit 4 – check it out.” |
✅ Summary
The Course News Feed helps you stay organised, visible, and connected to your learners. One post reaches the whole class, and learners know exactly where to look for updates.
