Assessment  in elearning netiquette guidelines

 

Directions - 

 

• Class, let's give this free wiki service a try.  I would hate to see you 'give up' on this type of tech tool because I personally use it continually with many teams with which I am involved.  It helps so much with collaborative plans and development of a collaborative document such as our class netiquette guidelines.

 

Please post your best netiquette guidelines below.  You may use color and please place your name behind your note.  Also if you know html, you can play with the graphic design of the page and make it uniform and attractive during any time of our editing process. 

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January 2010 Feedback and Additions 

 

class blogs  

 

 

Nettiquette was a term that I had never heard until last year. While researching the subject I came across an online book by Virginia Shea. In the book she gives an introduction to netiquette and some netiquette basics. Communication over the Internet is not the same as face to face interactions or even phone conversations. As we communicate with others online there is an anonymity to what we communicate. With none of the traditional forms of immediate feedback available in online communication we find ourselves with the ability to say things that we may not normally say. I know that over the years I have found myself typing emails back to people that may have frustrated me and at the last moment decided to not click the send button.  This type of email is defined by Virginia Shea (1994), “Flaming, is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion.” (p. 43)  It can be therapeutic to just type a flame mail, but on other occasions it is good to let the message to go out. All too often we suppress what we really feel and in my opinion that is not healthy.   I think it is accepted to flame every now and again, but on the other hand just make sure you do not start a flame war or make things personal.   Shea, Virginia (1994, May). Netiquette. [Online]. Available:http://www.albion.com/netiquette/book/TOC0963702513.html   Jason Schenzel, Wausau, WI

 

I"m on... yea!

When talking netiquette, I believe another consideration when reading a post is to remember that the person writing is probably not trying to offend, so if you read something and you have questions about the intent, ask them.  I've found many times students believe they have a comfortable relationship with you as an instructor, but need to be reminded that emails in courses are professional conversations. It is important to proof read, but as the reader it is also important to remember that emails are often times conversations and should be respected as such with less focus on grammar and punctuation. The message is what is important.

Kristal-Madison WI

 

Nettiquette

 

The idea of using nettiquette when writing, is something that all writers need to keep in mind when posting or e-mailing anything that others will read. I find that when I send a e-mail to someone, I try to remember the feeling of the individual that I an sending the document to. How will they recieved it? Can it be undersotood in different ways? How will they feel at the conclusion of them reading the materials?  I have been accused of taking too much time in sending documents but I would rather take the time then sending information that may be misinterpreted. I think that it is important to use techniques that give the reader the best possible and most positive view of the materials.

 

Dale L. Johnson, Roseau, MN

 

I agree with you that we need to think about how others will receive what we write. The flip-side of that is that as a reader, we need to remember that the message we receive might not be exactly what the writer intended. 

In a previous class, one of the students seemed to take offense to what another student had posted. When I read the original post and the reaction, I thought that the second student misunderstood the point being made. We need to remember that everyone comes from a different background and perspective and to keep this in mind when reading as well as writing.

Paul Ericksen in Kuwait

 

Netiquette Idea

 

Probably when thinking about using correct "netiquette" on line, it's a good idea to think of what your mother told you:  Don't be rude; always listen to what the other person has to say; never use those nasty words she couldn't repeat to you; smile; be honest; walk on the other person's trail for a while before speaking; never make the other person feel foolish; if someone drops something, pick it up for them; smile again; remember to take off your shoes before putting your foot in your mouth; don't get your head so puffed up, it gets in the way of your mouth; smile again; don't waste too much of the other person's time talking about yourself; always change your underware (OK, this has nothing to do with online instruction, but it's not a bad suggestion:).

 

PS:  With regard to Wiki's, you might want to look at a site called Wet Paint for some really free wiki creation materials.....IF you want a sample, you can view my disastrous creation at:  spicerspot.wetpaint.com

 

 

Larry Spicer, St Petersburg, Florida

 

 

Be patient with all of us who are learning the ropes of this technology if we were to breach any "nettiquete" rule and give us feedback so we don´t do it again. In regards to posting here, my basic premisse would be "don´t do or say  to others what you do not want to see done or said to you", having said that. Let´s brainstorm together, the entreprise of thinking collectively and positively will always be a rewarding endeavor!  Maite Kilpatrick, Wichita, Kansas.

 

Be genuine in your responses. Think more about contributing to the discussion than about trying to fullfill the feedback requirements for the class.  Lynette, Madison, Wisconsin

 

Respect the bandwidth and time of others.  Resist the temptation to over-respond. Clear and concise discussion responses make the discussion better for all.

Avoid the use of colored fonts in discussion/email postings (unless directed to do this!) Some colors are difficult to read on line and equally difficult when printed.

Disagree respectfully, but do disagree if appropriate. Try to begin with a positive statement and end with a positive statement. Readers are more likely to "digest" your message using this technique.

Sue in Milwaukee-WI 

 

Share your knowledge and experience with those new to on-line learning.  Carolyn Jenkins from Beaufort, South Carolina

Shrimp Boats in Beaufort, South Carolina

Very lovely picture!

(I am trying 10 font in Tahoma!) This is my first time with a WIKI. I see the practical application already in my own work setting for training,  project communication, brainstorming, and group assessment technique.  People have posted some very insightful comments regarding online etiquette. I also believe that people generally engage online good intent, and with a genuine interest in communicating effectively.  Respect and mutual desire to be understood go a long way with good netiquette. A style of writing that is open and inviting is also very helpful. E-communication with shorter sentences, perhaps some graphics to highlight key points, emotion, or priority issues are very usefu tools  And, concise writing, also mentioned earlier, is very helpful.   Occasionally (whether in the workplace or other public virtual venue) an individual may try to bully or dominate a discussion including more than 2 parties. When this happens in a more public forum, I have found that it is best "not to react".  Rather, try to stick to the topic at hand, and perhaps answer with a question, as one person in this WIKI put it, and try to understand intent.       Allison Bingham, Roslyn, WA

 

The best font for online reading is Tahoma either size 10 or 12 which is not always possible to choose on some wikis.  Additionally, since many people have brought up the teaching of students, according to the Federal Educational Rights Privacy Act, FERPA, regulations direct student information cannot be contained in an e-mail.  For example, I, as the instructor for a course cannot e-mail a learner that he/she scored a 95% but I can tell he/she that they scored well in an e-mail.  This is why it is important to have a system like Desire2Learn for leaners to obtain their assessment scores.   Lastly, keep in mind that when working for a public institution, like a school, e-mails are part of public record which is open for 7 years.  E-mail is treated like a letter you would snail mail to a person.  Therefore, do not state something in an e-mail that you do not want to see again in a court of law. 

Sue Zittlow - Brussels 

I don't think I've seen it posted yet, but I would like to add that we should all be respectful of each others schedules and work times, but we should also make attempts to return corrospondance in a timely fashion.

-Jason Holter- Holmen, WI

 

Take some risks--sometimes trying things differently is exactly what your students need. When doing this, be as clear as possible in your directions so that students can understand what you are asking them to do since it will be new to them.

Brenda from Cedar Grove

 

Finally, I am here ... took me awhile to figure out that I needed to open this up in a new window rather than within D2L!!  As most everyone has stated, we all need to be very cognizant of our audience and the tone of our conversations.  As an online instructor, I have learned that you must be tentative when 'talking' with students including adult students. Things can easily be misconstrued and become contentious between student-student interactions so setting the tone by the instructor or faciliator can help nip that fairly quickly. - Margie from Ohio

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