footer

 

Netiquette header image

In the online classroom and often in hybrid/blended classes, you communicate with your classmates and instructor
in writing through the public discussion forums, email, and sometimes chat sessions.
"Online manners" are
generally known as
"netiquette."

As a general rule, you should adhere to the same classroom conduct that you would in a traditional face-to-face course.

 Some examples of proper netiquette follow.

  1. Avoid writing messages in all capital letters. THIS IS GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD AS SHOUTING.
  2. Be careful what you put in writing. Even if you are writing an email message to one person, assume that anyone could read it.
     Though you may send an email to a single person, it is very easy to forward a message to hundreds or thousands of people.
  3. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation matter. Online and hybrid/blended courses demand the same standard
    of academic communication as face-to-face courses.
  4. Use shorthand "emoticons" on the discussion board only in the Course Chat Room, which
    is generally reserved for informal discussions with other students.
  5. When responding to messages, use "Reply to All" only when you really intend to reply to all.
  6. Never use profanity in any area of an online course. Transcripts of online course communications are savable.
  7. Avoid unkindly public criticism of others. Publicly criticizing others in an inappropriate way
    is known as "
    flaming."
  8. Avoid sarcasm and use humor with care. In the absence of nonverbal cues such as facial expressions
    and voice inflections, the context for your comments may be lost, and your message may be misinterpreted.
  9. Please refer to your course syllabus for the “Expectations of Student Conduct” section
    which applies to online courses as well as F2F.

footer image