Netiquette Statements

February 13, 2023

Establish expectations for respectful engagement online early in your course with a Netiquette Statement.

Netiquette for Online Learning

What is Netiquette and why it important? Netiquette is etiquette for the internet. People engage with one another differently online than in person, and the online classroom is different from a face-to-face one. While many learners are familiar with online interactions before they start a course, they may not know what to expect in an online classroom environment. Setting a professional tone in a virtual learning environment is important in establishing clear boundaries for online interactions.

A Netiquette statement instructs students up front what is, and mostly what isn’t, acceptable behavior in the course. It tends to be largely focused on how learners communicate with each other and with the instructor in the course. Consider including this statement in your syllabus, in the first module online, or before the first discussion board.

Here is a sample statement from our Quality Matters at Clemson Canvas course. You may directly copy the statement below, and feel free to adapt, revise, and add to it as needed.

Sample Netiquette Statement

Even if you have experience communicating in an online environment, online courses may require an extra effort to be civil. An online classroom is still a classroom and we should all behave professionally while in it. Please read and follow the guidelines below.

While in our class, please remember:

• Be respectful. Consider the person on the receiving end of your comments. If you were sitting in front of that person would you say the same thing to their face?
• Humor and sarcasm don’t always translate well in online discussions. Always consider your tone and whether your words can be clearly understood by your classmates.
• Only reveal information that you are comfortable sharing with your classmates.
• Please spell-check your responses; you can even compose your work in a different program (such as Word), and then paste it into the online discussion.
• Posts don’t have to be perfect, but they should be as clear and readable as you can make them.
• The law still applies on the Internet. Do not commit illegal acts online, such as libeling or slandering others, and do not joke about committing illegal acts.

Please do not:

• Use offensive language, even in jest. Any comments that can be construed as racist, sexist, etc., may be removed.
• Avoid using caps lock to post messages or responses to posts. All-caps is considered SHOUTING, AND IS VERY RUDE.
• Post large, unbroken blocks of text. These can be difficult to read. Try to break up your post into paragraphs.
• Post a message more than once; if you are having trouble seeing or submitting posts, contact me and we will try to fix it.
• Re-post or forward any communication that is sent to you unless you receive explicit permission to do so. Respect the response you get if your request is denied.

Upcoming Events

Expanded Quality Matters Offerings

Clemson Online is proud to announce new opportunities for instructors to gain experience in online course creation, teaching with Canvas, and the Quality Matters course review process. They start March 6 and include:

• Online Course Bootcamp
• Improving Your Online Course (IYOC)
• QM Essentials Review
• COFFEE: House Blend

Please see the full descriptions and registration links at our Expanded Quality Matters Offerings website.

For applicable participants, these trainings can be listed on annual reviews in the Faculty Success system. Check with your department for specific details. If you have any questions about these training opportunities or any aspect of Quality Matters at Clemson, please email Lori Kinley.

Clemson Online Spring 2023 Events Calendar

Review our Spring 2023 Events Calendar to see what Online Instruction Development opportunities await!

We have a robust Spring semester lineup of topics and live training formats to support your use of Canvas and other e-learning tools. Topics cover demonstrations of using Kaltura, presentations on inclusive practices for online education, and workshops to get your Canvas site ready to teach!

All of our live training is recorded. Registrants will automatically receive a link to that day’s video after it has been processed.

Contact James Butler with any questions about these sessions.

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