Civility and the Online Environment....
I believe civility is important. When you have laid it out in your syllabus, sent out an email with Course Policies and Procedures, reminded them in their Tips for Success each week, what else can you do?
You can set an example, even for the angriest student, by keeping your cool and replying in a slow and steady voice...you are setting an example for the netiquette and civility you expect.
I believe that the instructor often sets the tone for the class. What kind of tone are you setting for yours?
Alice,
Civility and respect go hand in hand. We all need to encourage our students to follow the policies/procedures that align with such respect. Love your last question.
It is imperative that the instructor be aware of the tone that they are setting in their class. Making a conscious effort to set a positive and productive tone will benefit the instructor as well as the students in terms of online learning success.
Paula,
Yes, you are correct. The tone can "make or break" the classroom setting. With a positive classroom environment, respect can build and a more productive learning environment will be the result. Thanks for your input.
It is easy to manage students with tone - it is all they have to judge you by, at least at first. They are trying to figure out how to communicate with you and looking for cues. Feed them your tonal cues. Easy as pie.
Heather,
Tone is so important. It sets the stage for the whole class. Keep up the good work and help students work on their tone as well and understand the importance. Nice job.
I agree that you can set an example with tone; however, not all students find it as easy to follow suit. These may be "one-off" situations, however, some students have a hard time catching cues. In those situations, I typically have one-on-one conversations to remedy the situation.
Natalie,
Yes, the one-on-one conversations may have to occur, but keep modeling. It makes a difference to many students. Thanks for your input.
Hi everyone.
Lead by example...a good concept. It does work well over time with most people.
There does come along at times the person who appoints themself “chief critique expert" in the classroom.
This can play well if they also concentrate on positive items and know how to discuss areas of questions/negative observations. Unfortunately most do not have the skills to provide negative feedback or questions on an item.
In this case I will contact the student privately and discuss with her/him the
problem and the need to enhance their skills in this area.
Be awesome daily.
John
John,
Being a good role model is essential. We can model communication, respect, and many other components necessary in the online environment.
Thanks!
Hi Alice - I enjoyed this post and this question. Tone is so critical, yet so tricky to perfect, I think. For example, I have had some excellent teachers content-wise, but their online communication was really lacking in tone. Emails from them were flat and came across as bored and disinterested, and even annoyed that I was wasting their time.
Therefore, I try to exhibit the opposite tone to my students. I try to be extremely eager to get to know them, ask them questions, use lots of exclamation marks, and very much try to keep things light, friendly and non-intimidating. The only downside to this is, I think using so many exclamation marks can get a little silly after awhile! I wish I had a few more items in my teacherly toolbox that I could employ to radically affect tone, rather than just use exclamation points.
What are some concrete things you do, or phrases/words you employ, to portray a kind and considerate tone in your classes, everyone?
Erin and Alice,
We have all had our emails misinterpreted at some point. So, it is vital we set the tone and communicate well. Nice job.
I recently had my first on-line "civility" issue. The students were responding to an essay rough draft that was posted to a Discussion Board. I had one student whose comments were along the lines of "This paper is boring." and "I don't like the subject.", etc. In my grading comments, I reminded the student that comments are to be helpful and respectful of the work.
Mark,
A good reminder is necessary at times. Keep up the good work.
Nice job.
