Element

Element is a Matrix-based chat client powered by the Element Web frontend with Nordeck widgets tailored for education. It provides real-time messaging, threaded conversations, and file sharing within a federated, open protocol. As a base openDesk CE component, it ships stable and production-ready.

Key Features

Real-time messaging: Instant messaging with read receipts, typing indicators, and message threading.
Rooms and channels: Organize conversations by topic, class, or project with dedicated rooms.
File sharing: Drag-and-drop file uploads with in-line previews for images, PDFs, and documents.
Nordeck education widgets: Interactive widgets for polls, quizzes, and collaborative activities within chat rooms.
Federation support: Connect with other Matrix servers for cross-organization communication.

Integration with openDesk Edu

Element integrates with openDesk Edu through Keycloak-based SSO using SAML 2.0 and OIDC. Users access the chat directly from the unified Nubus portal with a single sign-on experience. It deploys as a modular Helm chart alongside the Synapse Matrix homeserver. Persistent message data is backed up through k8up.