DePaul CTI Netiquette Guidelines for Course Communications
As with any communication environment, the collaboration environment provided by the COLWeb system is subject to certain standards and guidelines for appropriate behavior. There are three basic guidelines for “netiquette”, or network etiquette, that you should abide by while using the tools provided for your course:
- Present yourself in a professional manner. Even if you are not being graded on your participation, remember that your instructor will see everything you write or do on the collaboration site. Write using complete sentences and proper spellings, and do your best to make sure your point is clear and to avoid offending others. Avoid the abbreviations and emoticons commonly used in text messaging. Your classmates or instructor may become important professional contacts, so do not waste any opportunity to make your communication skills stand out.
- When contributing to an online forum, make sure your post adds something substantive to the discussion. Simply stating. “I agree,” or, “I disagree,” does not advance the conversation. Instead, explain the sources of your agreement or disagreement, or provide an alternative viewpoint. If you are unsure of your instructor’s specific requirements for your participation in a forum, be sure to ask.
- Remember that you are communicating with classmates who are real people with goals for the course similar to your own. Avoid writing anything that you would not be willing to say in person. Avoid instigating or participating in arguments that convey emotion more than a logical consideration of facts. Finally, do not use obscenities and do not type in all capital letters, which suggests shouting.
This is not an exhaustive list, and common sense should always be used. In addition, students are reminded that all University policies, including those on plagiarism and harassment, will always apply. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the copying or paraphrasing of someone else’s work or ideas without proper acknowledgement. Harassment, such as written threats, hostile or obscene messages will not be tolerated.
For more information on DePaul university policies, see The DePaul Academic Integrity Policy and the DePaul Code of Student Responsibility.
Students who wish to seek more information on netiquette may want to visit the following sites:
· Internet Engineering Task Force Netiquette Guidelines
· Network Etiquette guidelines, excerpted from Netiquette by Virginia Shea