Etiquette and netiquette for online classes/dr.c.thanavathi

1. ETIQUETTE AND NETIQUETTE FOR
ONLINE CLASSES
Dr.C.Thanavathi
Assistant Professor of History,
V.O.C.College of Education,
Thoothukudi - 628008.
Tamil Nadu. India.
9629256771
thanavathic@thanavathi-edu.in
http://thanavathi-edu.in/index.html

2. Introduction
Netiquette (net + etiquette) is the “code of
conduct” applied to online spaces. Teaching
students about netiquette is just as important (if not
more so) as teaching them to use technology or
master content. Much like traditional etiquette,
which provides rules of conduct in social situations,
the purpose of netiquette is to help construct and
maintain a pleasant, comfortable, and efficient
environment for online communication, as well as to
avoid placing strain on the system and generating
conflict among users.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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3. Online Etiquette for Parents
 Motivate your child to attend the classes with the spirit as he/she attends school/college.
 Ensure that your child has taken a bath, had breakfast and is ready for school/college-online classes in dress.
 Parents should arrange all the material required for online classes.
 Parents must send an official Email regarding the absentee of their child.
 Parents should ensure that the time table of the child should be put up for their reference somewhere in the room.
 Should be given fruit in a small tiffin box daily for the fruit break.
 Ensure that the students should sit in a well-lit room.
 Provide a dedicated place for the child to attend to his/her online classes without any disturbance.
 Kindly ensure that the room is clear of any distractions (Noise - Pets or Younger siblings).
 Poor internet connectivity should not hinder the teaching-learning session.
 If you do not have a spare computer, then share your mobile with your child so as to help him connect with his/her teachers
in the session.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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4. Online Etiquette for Parents
 If the child is attending online classes on the mobile make sure that the ‘Do Not Disturb’ Feature is active while the
class is going on.
 Parents should also emphasize on maintaining correct posture during the teaching-learning session and train the
students accordingly on the same.
 Parents should not intervene while the teacher is conducting the online class the child should be made to understand
the importance of the class and how he/she must pay attention.
 Parents are also supposed to be dressed up decently if they appear on the screen.
 The timetable shared by the school should be followed diligently. At the same time assist the teachers because they
too are trying hard and face similar concerns as you do during this pandemic.
 Explain to the child the importance of online classes. Talk to them about the Corona Virus pandemic and the basic
safety measures.
 Parents need to monitor their ward frequently during the online classes to ensure the child is using the device for
classes only and remains focused on the online learning session.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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5. Online Etiquette for Teachers
 The teachers should be punctual and dressed up formally while taking online classes.
 Teachers must use an email profile picture that is appropriate for an education environment.
 The teacher must set a protocol and decorum in the classroom of what is expected from the
students - their conduct and classroom discipline.
 The teacher should keep his/her work environment free from distraction like noise of television,
incoming calls etc.
 The attendance should be taken for each period by the teacher.
 The teaching-learning time should be used judiciously to make the class effective.
 The teacher should be well-prepared and well-versed with the topic knowing all the nitty-gritty
details as she is being listened to by the parents too and the students tend to put up more queries
and the teacher should be able to answer them.
 The teaching aids may be kept ready beforehand to avoid wastage of time during the class.
 Any teaching aid (in the form of written matter or some objects) should have clarity (legible
handwriting for written matter) and should be shown properly.
 The teacher should strictly speaking in bi-lingual.
 The teacher should leave the meeting only after the students have left (Signed Out).
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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6. Online Etiquette for Teachers
 Teachers must use laptops for teaching, in case they need to use their mobile phones they should use earphones
to keep their hands free to show any action (segmentation and blending) or any teaching aids if required while
teaching also should place mobile phones in a stable platform, so that the Point of View is not compromised.
 During the entire teaching period the teacher should keep her video on and should be visible to the learners at
all times.
 Alternatively, the screen can only be used if there is any screen sharing or any teaching aid to be shown. All
other times the teacher should be in face to face interaction.
 The teacher may plan the teaching periods in such a way that she divides them into synchronous and
asynchronous learning. During online teaching any written work or learning assignment should be given in
asynchronous teaching-learning time in order to reduce the screen time for the learners as well as the teachers.
 The teacher must have a closing activity - to allow students to reflect on the content taught (recapitulation).
 Every teacher should guide the learners to do eye exercises every day after attending the online classes.
 The assignments (Homework/ Projects) must be practical and accomplishable for the learning outcomes (Date
and Time of submission must be clear).
 Teachers must ensure her visibility is clear with a stable background, so that there is no distraction for the
students.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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7. Online Etiquette for Students
 Be in full dress to attend your classes.
 The Students should sit in a well-lit room and be online and on time for attending the classes with electronic devices fully
charged.
 Be fully equipped for the class with paper - pen, textbooks and water bottle by your side before starting the online session.
 The students should not annotate on screen until and unless instructed by the class teacher/ subject teacher.
 The student needs to have more than 75% of attendance in each subject.
 If the student is not able to attend the class, then prior information should be given to the class teacher/subject teacher, (Leave
Application) on official Email ID.
 Please login with your real name or email ID only (Follow instructions carefully).
 The students are supposed to switch on their cameras and switch off their mic (unless required to speak).
 Engage fully in online work without any background distractions. Log-Out from all social media, so that you are not distracted
during the lesson.
 The students should raise hands or use the chat box to post their questions and queries. Before posting your questions just check
if anyone has already asked it and received a reply.
 Be brief while asking questions or replying to a question.
 Don’t post irrelevant links, comments, thoughts or pictures.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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8. Online Etiquette for Students
 Always remember to say ‘PLEASE’ and ‘THANK YOU’ while soliciting help from your teachers or classmates.
 Respect the opinion of your classmates. If you feel the need to disagree, do so respectfully and
acknowledge the valid points in our classmates' argument. Acknowledge that others are entitled to have
their own perspective on the issue.
 Recognize and respect diversity. It’s ok to ask questions to clarify things you don’t understand. If you’re not
sure, email the professor privately for more information.
 If you reply to a question from a classmate during online classes, make sure your answer is accurate. If you
are not 100% sure DO NOT MAKE A GUESS!
 Be forgiving-If your classmate makes a mistake, don’t badger him or her for it. Just let it go - it happens
with the best of us.
 Stay focused on the teaching and take down appropriate notes while the teacher is teaching.
 Complete and submit all learning tasks and homework assigned by your teachers on a scheduled date.
 There is to be no filming, recording or sharing content (you must not take screenshots or record staff
members presenting information to you).
 No eating/ munching is allowed during the session. However you are allowed to drink water if required.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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9. Netiquette Rules
for Online Students

10. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
1. Be on time
 Punctuality is especially important for online meetings, because
we are working in the absence of normal checks to ensure that
everyone can be gathered to start classes on time.
 When teacher and students are in the same room together, the
teacher can call everyone to attention or beckon someone in from
the drinking fountain easily. This is not the case with online
meetings, so students will need to be extra responsible to schedule
their day effectively.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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11. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
2. Wear proper attire
 Learning from the comfort of your home can make it feel desirable to
dress down, but we want to make sure we are looking presentable
and professional for each other, just like we do at school/college.
While Students may not be required to wear the uniform they did to
school to online meetings, but it is our expectation that students dress
in a way that is modest, clean, and avoids any unnecessary
distraction.
 Unless you are ill, you will be expected to share your screen through
video in order to engage in discussion, so please dress well.
Sleepwear and anything that could be perceived as immodest should
be avoided. If you have any questions about proper clothing, have a
conversation with your parents. It’s always better to be overdressed.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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12. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
3. Choose a good location
 As parents and students plan for online lessons, it will be
important to think through an ideal location. The most
important thing is to have a clean and non-distracting
background. If a student must work in their bedroom, make
sure the bed or decorations are not prominent in the
background. If possible, set up a desk with materials ready
and a neutral background.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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13. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
4. Mute yourself if you experience unavoidable background noise
 If for reasons beyond your control noise becomes a problem in
what you thought was a quiet space, please click the icon on
the bottom left that will mute your audio. Try to do this sooner
rather than later, and either ask family members to move or
else move yourself.
 If it’s impossible to find a quiet place in your current family
scenario, it’s still important for you to attend the meeting. Just
mute yourself for the whole time, except when called on, and
let your instructor know by a private chat message what the
situation is.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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14. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
5. Be ready to take notes
 While teachers may have different instructions in
different subjects and scenarios, online meetings aim to
condense the time that everyone is present together.
 So in many cases it will be beneficial for you to be able
to jot down a note on the instructions the teacher is
giving or important information he or she is sharing with
you. While you can always ask later by email or
another means of communication, or check the
recording of the video, this can be time consuming. It
will often be helpful to be on the look-out during the
meeting for what you need to know to complete the
next assignment well.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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15. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
6. Give your full, focused attention
 It goes without saying that giving your focused attention
is one of the best things you can do to learn efficiently.
However, when on an online meeting it may be
tempting to use another device or engage with
someone or something else in your surroundings rather
than the meeting that you are a participant in.
 Giving eye contact to the screen is a good way to show
your instructor that you are attending, unless of course
you are taking notes. Side conversations with other
students via another means of communication are
definitely off limits. Show respect to the important
learning process that you are engaged in during the
Zoom meeting, just as you would if you were present in
person with your whole class.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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16. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
7. Participate fully
 Participating fully may look different depending on what your
teacher is expecting of you at any particular moment. At times,
your teacher will be leading the class in a discussion and this is
when it is most important to speak up and share your thoughts.
Of course, if your teacher is simply sharing instructions with you,
then participating fully means paying close attention to be sure
you understand, writing anything down you don’t want to forget,
and being ready to ask any questions you have about confusing
parts when the teacher is done.
 The fact is that the nature of an online format may increase the
tendency of some students to sit back and observe. When there
is a glowing screen in front of us, we can default to passive
spectator mode. Even if it’s just taking notes, make the most of
each online meeting by becoming as active a learner as you
can be.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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17. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
8. Don’t dominate the discussion
 For some students the reticence of others and their natural
talkativeness may lead them to participate too much. In this case
these students should adopt some strategy to make sure they are
giving others a chance to discuss, who may need more of a pause in
between comments. It’s okay for there to be a little bit of silence in
an online class; you don’t have to fill every void with a comment or a
thought just because it comes to you.
 A strategy that may be helpful is counting how many people have
spoken since the last comment you shared. If that number seems to
average in the 4-5 range or higher, you’re probably doing fine, even
if you’re still sharing more than others. However, if your number is
averaging in the 2-3 range, or even as low as 1, you should definitely
hold your thought more and let others share before contributing
again. Obviously, if the teacher or another student asks you a follow-
up question right after your comment, that doesn’t need to count, but
the point still stands.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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18. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
9. Do ask questions
 Connected to these thoughts on participation is the
importance of asking questions during an online meeting.
Your teachers are there to support and help you, and it
makes it easier on everyone if you can ask a question while
together in an online meeting. If you are experiencing
some confusion or have a question about something, it’s
likely that someone else has that same question. Speak up!
 Your teachers will be adjusting to the new medium of
communication just like you, and it may be that they jump
over a crucial detail, as they are focusing on so many new
dynamics. It will only help the process of transition if you
ask the questions that are occurring to you along the way.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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19. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
10. Be more careful with your words
 So much of our communication is built on presence with a person,
including our truly incredible ability to read facial expressions and other
nonverbals. We can’t always articulate what we are reading in another
person’s countenance, but it informs the tone and temperature of our
interactions with others in ways we don’t even realize.
 When moving communication to a new medium, we need to begin by
being more careful than we would otherwise feel the need to be.
 While online meetings with video do allow for some facial recognition, it
may be delayed or affected in strange ways by the interposition of a
screen. People don’t converse in the same way through a device as they
would in flesh and blood. Comment threads are a good example of this.
 Classmates and teachers may have developed ways of joking or
interacting with one another that rely on a base of trust and nonverbals.
Taking that full-bodied gamut away may mean that comments that would
have been considered funny before are now offensive. Start into online
meetings with a mindset of cautious learning. We’re going to have to
relearn some of our social interactions to avoid any misunderstandings
and hurt feelings.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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20. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
11. Review your notes and the recording later
 When possible, the teacher will share a recording of the online meeting with you
and any student who missed the live meeting because of sickness or other
circumstances. Keep that in mind as you interact during the meeting! But it’s also
always possible that the recording will fail or there will be a glitch in the
technology.
 Many online platforms are likely getting their infrastructure tested by a higher
volume of use than they had before. So it’s a good idea to take notes and not
rely on re-watching later. Also, it can be more time consuming to have to scan
through a video in search of a particular detail or instruction that the teacher
gave, when you could have just jotted it down at the time.
 Remember also that because an online learning meeting condenses down
instruction time and live interactions with the teacher, it may be helpful to some
students to use their notes and the recording for extra review of concepts that
might have been difficult.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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21. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
12. Keep up with all assignments
 One of the challenges posed by online learning is the increased level of responsibility that students
will have for their own learning. It can be tempting to put off assignments with multiple days before
their due date. However, doing this once can have a spiral effect, where, because you are rushing
to make up yesterday’s assignments, you now have less time to work on today’s assignments,
meaning you are likely to get behind on what’s due tomorrow as well.
 Avoid the panic and the feeling of constantly being behind the ball by setting up routines for
yourself that ensure you are always on top of your assignments. Adopt a mindset that each day you
will put in a solid day’s work on school and learning. Give yourself little breaks and set micro-goals
to ensure that you keep up the motivation.
 Studies show that for most people it’s more effective to regularly switch between subjects or types of
work (at time increments between 30 min and 1 hour), rather than to try to power through doing the
same thing for a long period of time.
 Online learning provides you with more flexibility in the structure of your school day, but you and
your parent should actively design a school day for yourself. If you constantly have the temptation
of video games or Netflix calling you away from your schoolwork and the burden of decision to stay
the course, you will find it much harder to be productive. On the other hand, if you set up bright lines
and rules for yourself to get work done before play time, you will likely find online learning an
enjoyable experience.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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22. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
13. Check your email regularly
 There are a few reasons that checking your email regularly will be
important. First, your teachers will be emailing you assignments,
instructions, and links to online meetings.
 While they will try to keep the schedule they have announced, it is always
possible that a teacher could experience a disruption of some kind that
requires them to reschedule. Checking your email ensures that you will
receive these notices in a timely manner and be able to adjust your
schedule for the day.
 It is also possible that a teacher will have to clarify something that was
misunderstood or said incorrectly in an online meeting by email afterward.
If you go merrily on your way with the assignment, without checking your
email, you may encounter difficulties that could have been avoided.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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23. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
14. Apologize for any accidental breech of etiquette
 As human beings we all make mistakes, and mistakes are even more likely when a new set of
experiences and challenges interrupt our normal routine. Online learning is going to involve that sort of
interruption, and no one is expected to be perfect. However, if you do break one of these etiquette
guidelines—whether it’s not being on time, loud background noise, dominating the discussion, or not
being prepared—come right out and apologize sooner rather than later.
 Apologizing shows respect to your classmates and your teacher and indicates that you are aware of
the problem and not oblivious. If you don’t acknowledge it, your teacher may have to come to you to
make sure it doesn’t happen again. Make that step unnecessary by calling it out yourself.
 With these guidelines in our minds, students will be well prepared to continue learning as well as
possible through online means. May our God help us honor him with our minds and our actions, as we
engage in Christian, classical, joyful discovery education in a different way this spring.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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24. Netiquette Rules for Online Students
15. Join the class with your name and not anonymously
 There are many instances observed where students join a class through a
given link for a specific platform with different names and make unnecessary
comments as a result of disturbing the whole class. Schools and colleges
should mandate the entry of only verified students with proper names for the
proper class conduct. Authorities should make sure that the meeting link is
being shared in the correct group and strict rules should be made regarding
the same. The strict protocol should be made for such notorious activity and
strict action should be taken against wrongdoers.
Dr.C.Thanavathi
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25. THANK YOU
Dr.C.Thanavathi
Assistant Professor of History,
V.O.C.College of Education,
Thoothukudi - 628008.
Tamil Nadu. India.
9629256771
thanavathic@thanavathi-edu.in
http://thanavathi-edu.in/index.html