The Internet is a permanent repository of your messages, so think about your message and who will read it.īe professional: Avoid getting into arguments in chat rooms, online classrooms, or through emails. An email written with good tone in mind can accomplish much more than one that is overbearing.īe respectful: Respond to other people's messages promptly, and if they ask for a return acknowledgement or receipt of an email, give it to them! Be polite, friendly, and professional. Read your message aloud to ensure it is a polite. Tone is critical: Avoid writing messages that are confrontational, rude, contain profanity, or are written in all caps.
Take time to ensure your audience does not have to read a poorly written message full of typos. Use good grammar and proofread: Poor grammar and misspelled words are unprofessional and reflect poorly on you. You will be judged by the quality of your writing, so keep the following tips in mind:
Online discussions require professional writing. Once you are certain that your comment will add a new element to the discussion, explain yourself clearly. If you don’t, you may end up repeating what others have already said which will make it seem like you are ignoring the prior comments.
Think about your message and read all of your peer’s comments carefully before replying to any questions. Remember, once you submit your comment, there is no way to take it back. Much of your classroom interaction will take place in discussion boards. Make your written communication meaningful and to the point. It is your responsibility to make sure that the time others spend reading your words isn't wasted. People lead busy lives, just like you do. Rule 4: Respect other’s time and bandwidthĮlectronic communication takes time to read and time in which to respond. In our online classrooms, students have varied personal and professional backgrounds, and it is that very diversity which encourages students to learn from one another. "Netiquette varies from domain to domain." (Shea, 1994) What you text to a friend may not be appropriate in an email to a classmate or colleague. Spend time listening to the chat or reading the archives. When you enter a domain of cyberspace that's new to you, observe. Do your best to act within the laws and ethical manners of society whenever you inhabit "cyberspace." While it can be argued that standards of behavior may be different in the virtual world, they certainly should not be lower. Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life Before you press "send" or "submit," ask yourself, "Would I be okay with this if someone else had written it?"
Remember, your written words are read by real people, all deserving of respectful communication. When communicating electronically, practice the “Golden Rule:” Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. The following rules are adapted from Virginia Shea's The Core Rules of Netiquette. You want your messages to be well-received and make positive impressions, right? In the virtual classroom instructors and students seldom meet in person, so they lack the opportunity to read body language and other non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice. Have you ever typed something, sent it and then wish you hadn’t? Or have you sent something that unintentionally offended the recipient? In the online classroom, there isn’t a “delete” button! Just as with any public forum, rules have been developed that govern how discussions should be carried out in the online world, known as “netiquette.”