Did you ever send an email or submit a discussion forum post that you wish you could take back? Most people have.
As more interactions shift from in-person to text-based communications, a subtle but meaningful interpersonal feedback loop is lost: We can no longer scan non-verbal cues to adjust content, volume, tone, word choice, posture and overall delivery. As a result, an online classmate or professor may misinterpret sarcastic jokes, puns and innuendos.
Before taking an online class for the first time, it’s wise to familiarize yourself with Internet etiquette, or “netiquette.” Many online programs include this information as part of orientation. Arizona State University tells ASU Online students on its website, “Netiquette, a social code that defines ‘good’ online behavior, is something to keep in mind during your online course interactions. Writing may be the only means of communication you have with classmates and instructors, so it is especially important to do this effectively.”
[Explore tips to improve writing for online classes.]
While most students don’t enter an online degree program intending to bully a professor or classmate, if students are not absolutely vigilant in monitoring themselves, their language and their general behavior, it can easily happen. Consider these five tips to keep your interactions in online courses productive.
1. Abide by the headline rule: Would you want your words printed as a headline in The New York Times? If not, don’t put it in writing — period. The headline rule applies to all aspects of an online class: homework, quizzes, papers, discussion forums, journal entries, emails with professors and classmates, and social media. Tempted to describe a n online classmate lazy, boring or stupid in an email to a professor? Now imagine the headline, “Student Called Sally… ‘ Lazy, Terrible, and Impossible.”” Ultimately, negative language reflects poorly on you, and the other student becomes the victim.
2. Read it aloud to a trusted friend first: Using the same example, you might want to call someone who doesn’t know your classmate and ask him or her to listen to you read the email you’ve written. Ask the friend what he or she thinks and to suggest a more neutral way to express the same idea — or if it needs to be said at all.
3. Never click “send” or “submit” when angry: In an online course, it’s easy to write something you might never have the gumption to say to the person’s face. The social feedback loop is missing, your empathy is turned off and you will likely regret it later. If you’re heated, allow yourself time to cool down. If deadlines allow, revisit your words the next day. Respecting all viewpoints, even ones with which you adamantly disagree, is a necessary part of learning.
[Discover how to succeed in an online course.]
4. Respect the privacy of others: It has become easy to find personal information about classmates and professors online. Google images, social media, background checks and online records can reveal much about a person. Don’t be a troll. Many universities will investigate or even prosecute students for an unreasonable invasion of privacy or for exhibiting suspicious or threatening behavior.
5. Report online bullying immediately: If you are the victim of online bullying, do not respond to or escalate the incident. Document and save the evidence, and report it to the appropriate university official. Inaction is a conscious decision, and even if you feel thick-skinned enough to not be bothered by the attack, the next victim might not.
The takeaway: In online classes, it can be easy for the inherent competitive atmosphere to compel one to be unkind at the expense of another. Learning to operate harmoniously and thrive in a highly charged intellectual and potentially competitive online environment is a transferable skill to the professional marketplace and is essential to success.
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5 Tips to Interact Successfully With Professors, Students in Online Courses originally appeared on usnews.com
