Good communication in e-learning is essential to growth, and that’s where the word “netiquette” comes in. Netiquette, which is a “net” and “etiquette” neologism, refers to using courtesy and politeness when interacting electronically with others.
For most persons, good etiquette is nothing new. You grew up with your parents advising you to keep your etiquette in mind all the time. Yet proper netiquette can seem a little dumbfounding in a modern era where the unwritten internet “codes” are continually evolving. Add in an online school environment like Icademy that is a DUBAI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, and immediately the correct rules for netiquette don’t appear as simple as a simple “ please” and “ thank you. E-learning lacks verbal and non-verbal signs that are a normal part of face-to-face communication, such as intonation, movements, posture, and facial expressions. In the online world, the lack of these signs will easily lead to misunderstandings.
A student receives a message open to interpretation, ignores the nonverbal feedback required to help correctly understand the message, attributes incorrect attributions to the message, and fires back in the classroom with frustration and name-calling. “How can a staff member avoid or mitigate online miscommunication?” Teachers should develop a netiquette policy for their online courses to minimize the incidence of misunderstandings and to encourage an online atmosphere where students feel comfortable. Netiquette, as you might have guessed, is simply the rules and standards for considerate, polite contact with others on the internet. To ensure that online manners are up to par, we enlisted some guidelines.
- For anything, there’s a time and a place, but TYPING IN ALL CAPS IN MOST Cases is unacceptable. Some viewers seem to view that as yelling and may have a hard time taking seriously what you mean, no matter how intelligent the answer might be. There are options to change the way text appears if you have visual disorders, so you can always see without coming off as frustrated.
- As a forum for students to exchange thoughts and ask questions relevant to the lesson, chat boxes are integrated into several online courses. It can be a helpful resource or a major distraction, all depending on how well learners know their netiquette in the classroom. The chat box for the class is not an instant messenger that you can do for friends. Treat it as the learning aid it is supposed to be, and try not to confuse your classmates with off-topic conversations.
- Your first reaction may be to automatically ask a question if you’re frustrated or stuck on a task. But take the opportunity to try to find things out on your own before you ask. Refer to the syllabus and course FAQ for questions relating to the class organization, such as due dates or policies. Using a search engine, try to find answers to any other questions on your own. If, despite a bit of work, your questions remain unanswered, feel free to bring them up with your teacher.
- To use correct punctuation, spelling, and grammar, please attempt. The reader is irritated and diverted from the point of your letter by attempting to decode a series of misspelled words with irregular punctuation. On the other hand, it is necessary to be fair concerning the grammar errors of others.
- Sarcasm has been the cause of numerous unfounded claims online, as the intention of the commenter can be extremely difficult to understand. To someone who doesn’t know you directly, what might seem like an easy joke to you might come off as off-putting or rude. As a thumb rule, it is best in an online classroom to resist sarcasm entirely. Instead, to prevent these difficulties, tend toward being respectful and straightforward in the way you talk.
- Before writing your comment, take some time to read through each of the previous forum thread replies. There’s a fair possibility someone has already answered it if the initial article posed a particular question. Submitting a response that is oddly similar to a classmate tells the teacher that so far you have not paid attention to the discussion. Note, conversations will pass reasonably rapidly, so before drafting your answer, it’s necessary to absorb all the details. Building on the thinking of a classmate or wanting to bring something different to the conversation can demonstrate that you have been paying attention to your mentor.
- E-learning comes with a sense of confidentiality that does not happen when you chat face-to-face with others. This often causes persons to act rudely when they argue with each other. Online students probably don’t have the full confidentiality that comes from having a screen name, but because of the gap between computers, you might also fall victim to treating others badly. Make a point in your remarks to be kind and thoughtful, particularly though you disagree with others.
ICademy Middle East, a Dubai international school that provides students, located in the UAE and around the world with a rigorous education. From grades K through 12, we are NEASC and KHDA certified and offer individualized learning and teaching. With these following netiquettes, home school global also helps students to engage in an online learning environment responsibly and it also encourages learners to take a more active role to understand the value of anonymity rights.