READ: Guidelines for Online Communication

Some of your course activities may be completed entirely online. It’s important to make sure that you are familiar with some online communication basics.

chat2.pngThroughout the semester, you may be asked to use a variety of online communication tools including discussion forums, chat, journals, or blogs, where you have an opportunity to:

  • Interact with others in the class
  • Develop and share ideas
  • Pose questions
  • Get and give feedback
  • Share experiences

These places allow you and your class to have rich and meaningful dialog about course topics. Your instructor will provide specific details and instructions for each assignment but there are some general guidelines for you to be aware of to make sure you are successful.

Let’s start by considering a couple of traditional communication types that most of us are familiar with.

  • If you send a personal letter to someone it is private communication between you and the recipient — unless the recipient shares the letter with others.
  • If you put a notice on a bulletin board in the student union, it becomes publicly visible by anyone who visits the bulletin board.
  • When you chat with a group of friends at the coffee shop, students sitting nearby can hear your conversation.

The same concepts translate into the online environment:

  • E-mail is private communication between the sender and receiver(s) – but can also be made public by the receiver(s).
  • Discussion forums and blogs are public spaces.
  • Chat is public and may involve multiple “talkers” and “listeners” as well as “eavesdroppers.”

General Guidelines

  • Use proper grammar, punctuation, capitalization, spelling.
  • Make your message clear and concise.
  • Always re-read what you write to ensure it makes sense and is not offensive.
  • Don't just repeat what has already been said in another post; make sure to add your own ideas or opinions as instructed by your teacher.
  • Be courteous. DON'T YELL.

Verbals & Non-verbals

It is important to remember, when you’re communicating online, you will not have the non-verbal cues that you get in the traditional face-to-face classroom and neither will your instructor. Your instructor can’t see the confused, frustrated, or unhappy expressions on your face if you encounter problems. You MUST communicate with your instructor so that they can help. To make the experience go smoothly, remember that you’re responsible for:

  • Communicating often and early
  • Initiating contact more frequently
  • Being direct, persistent, and vocal when you don’t understand something