Using technology appropriately, and respecting the privacy and property of those on the internet should be a priority for educators and students alike. To be a responsible digital citizen means accessing reliable content in a lawful, safe, and ethical manner. It is important for students to learn and practice the necessary skills to safely and responsibly engage in a digital environment.
To promote these practices and habits, I would first want to educate my students about digital citizenship, digital ethics, and netiquette. For adult learners especially, these concepts may be very new and some students may find that navigating the World Wide Web is more challenging than they realized. To properly address these issues, I would ask that my students watch the following YouTube videos on the topics and then complete a brief summary quiz or assessment on the material. I would also include these topics as a discussion prompt to open the lines of communication between the students and provide them the ability to ask questions or share personal experiences or examples.
Digital Citizenship
Digital Ethics
Netiquette
A few netiquette guidelines to live by are:
Be friendly, positive, and self-reflective
Use proper language and titles
Use effective communication
Be professional
Ask for clarification when needed
Remember that the Golden Rule of Netiquette is that you should never do or say online what you would not do or say offline (Columbus State University, n.d.)
Watch the video below for an overview of Discussion Board Netiquette
References
Columbus State University. (n.d.). Center of online learning: Netiquette guidelines. https://www.columbusstate.edu/online-learning/standards/netiquette-guidelines.php
Comments