Student Netiquette Guidelines
Online communication is an integral part of an online course. In this course, we will be
using email and threaded discussions. Below are some guidelines you must follow
when communicating with your instructor and fellow students. Following these will
ensure a healthy and productive learning community.
1.
Follow the same standards of behavior in online communications that you
would follow in real life.
2.
Abusive or insulting comments will not be tolerated. This is referred to as
“flaming.”
3.
Refrain from posting complete messages in all caps. This is considered
SHOUTING.
4.
Respect other people’s time by keeping replies short and to the point and
attachments small in file size (around 2MB is a reasonable limit).
5.
Though you should fully express your thoughts, try to keep all paragraphs
and messages short and to the point.
6.
Use Spell Check after composing your messages and use appropriate
punctuation and grammar to ensure that your message is clear.
7.
Use caution when using sarcasm and humor. It is difficult to convey human
emotion online.
8.
Remember that everyone has the right to participate. Though that includes
you, do not dominate a discussion.
9.
Instead of criticizing a fellow classmate’s opinion, question and analyze their
points and form a response that is reasonable. Use evidence to support
your own viewpoints.
10. Do not assume that email messages are private – they are easily forwarded.
A good rule of thumb is to not say anything you wouldn’t say on the evening
news.
11. Though all students deserve feedback in a reasonable amount of time, do
not expect instantaneous feedback from your instructor, students, or the
Help Desk. A reasonable expectation is 24-48 hours.
12. At the same time, fellow students may need feedback from you. Check your
email and the discussion board every day and try to get back to your
classmates in a timely fashion.