1. Netiquette in Environmental Science Online A PRESENTATION START

2. What is Netiquette? Netiquette is a combination of terms (“network” and “etiquette”) used to describe the appropriate way to communicate in an online environment. We will be communicating frequently in an electronic forum. In our classroom, we need to comply with the correct netiquette for an academic setting. NEXT PREVIOUS

3. Respect In our discussion forums, imagine that we are all sitting around the classroom in a circle, talking. Remember that every computer has a real live person behind it. Think about the person you are typing to before you post a comment. Would you say what you are communicating to the person’s face? If not, think about how you could respectfully communicate your thought. NEXT PREVIOUS

4. Communication You wouldn’t use acronyms, shorthand, or “text” speak when communicating in person, so please don’t use internet shorthand in our classroom. Using ALL CAPS is considered yelling in an online community. Therefore, please refrain from using all caps while typing. To emphasize words or phrases, use the provided tools for italics or bold. NEXT PREVIOUS

5. Ethics Often, in online settings, we have a feeling of anonymity. This sometimes makes us feel that we have permission to behave in ways that are disrespectful or unethical. Remember that this is an academic environment and try to adhere to the same level of integrity that you have in the rest of your life. NEXT PREVIOUS

6. Awareness Different forums and websites on the web have different rules for communication. Be aware of your presence in our classroom, and the rules of communication here. Before you jump into a conversation, make sure you have read the entire thread and understand the context of the communication. Would you walk up to a crowd of people and just start talking? Probably not. Instead, you would probably stop and listen to what is being said first, then add your thoughts. You should approach discussions the same way here. NEXT PREVIOUS

7. Appropriateness Keep your communications on-topic and appropriate to the discussion at hand. Don’t send things to people that don’t want them (like jokes or email chain letters). Don’t post items that aren’t directly pertinent to the topic. Keep our discussion threads easy for everyone to navigate by following the thread titles and responding to the correct individual. NEXT PREVIOUS

8. Disagreements We will be having many interesting discussions throughout our class, and often people will have opposing opinions on the weekly topics. These disagreements are what make our discussions compelling, and you are encouraged to post your opinion with supporting academic material! It is paramount that when you disagree with someone, you do it respectfully! Everyone is passionate about their view point. Respect opposing opinions to your own, and recognize that it is okay for other people to disagree with you. NEXT PREVIOUS

9. Character Be mindful of how you appear to others online. Use proper spelling and grammar to communicate yourself. Follow up on your opinions with credible sources and sound research. Don’t be confrontational. Never use or imply swearing. NEXT PREVIOUS

10. Expertise If you know a lot about a particular topic, or have some personal experiences to share that relate to a topic, please speak up! Making connections between real world experiences and our course topics is a great way to help you explore the information more deeply, and it will add to our discussions. NEXT PREVIOUS

11. Compassion Keep in mind that all students are coming into our classroom with different sets of skills and experiences. If someone makes a mistake or forgets a rule, just look past it and move on with the discussion. Always assume people have the best intentions in their communications. NEXT PREVIOUS

12. Information Adapted From Albion.com (2011). The core rules of netiquette. Retrieved from http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html Smith, S. (2009). Netiquette in the online classroom. Retrieved from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1732434/netiquette_for_the_online_classroom.html PREVIOUS