Online Course Etiquette

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Again, much of this should go without saying. Until we don’t after it has been said.

The basics of etiquette in any course or meeting apply online–people can forget that:

  1. Be on time.
  2. Come prepared–do the reading.
  3. Be appropriately groomed.
  4. Ask questions, where that is appropriate
  5. Take part in discussions.
  6. Give others a chance to respond.
  7. No bullying, no slurs.
  8. Review your notes after class..

 In addition, there are a number of pointers I’ll share that others have found help them get more from an online course:

  1. Keep distractive background sound and traffic down. The class doesn’t need to hear your roommate grinding coffee beans.
  2. Further on that, if your background is messy, look into a custom background. Image counts toward credibility.
  3. Note that people can see you if your video is on. Keep your hands off your face, and avoid frequent glancing at your phone for texts.
  4. Know how to mute and unmute your mic and avoid feedback howl.
  5. Log on early–late log-ins disrupt everybody more than entering a physical classroom late does.
  6. Use side chats with classmates wisely. Bear in mind that even one-to-one communication may be recorded.
  7. Set a clear agenda if you are hosting and stick to a time limit for each item. 
  8. Don’t introduce trivia or go off-topic, and bring discussion back to topic, even if you aren’t the host.
  9. Record everything you can.
  10. But don’t rely recording to multitasking or surfing during class time. You may indeed view later, but just a few classes missed can pile up.
  11. Make notes during the class–not everything will be on the slide deck. Mark the slide deck up. Own the lesson.
  12. Expect to be called on–many instructions pop a question to see who is attending, and who is really paying attention.
  13. If you or your group are presenting, practice the technology ahead of time and have back-up tech, just in case.

Looking over these pointers, there are quite a few negatives, or things to avoid, or to not do. But I’m going to stick with them, as they are the most frequently reported annoyances by both students and instructors.

On the positive, think of all the transportation time and money you are saving! And let me know your pet peeve about online meeting etiquette. [email protected]