Prepared by M. Stephens

Guidelines and Criteria for Discussion Posts, Written Work and Communications

Netiquette, or How to Win Friends and Avoid Making Enemies in Online Communications

Your online communications should reflect the best of you!

 Communications in an Academic Environment
Communicating online or by telephone in a work or academic environment is not the same as interacting with your friends. Use more formal, standard written English, not informal or texting language, in a work or academic setting. Reserve casual language for those with whom you have an established, informal relationship, such as friends, family members, peers or close colleagues.

Include a polite greeting and closing.

Examples
Greetings: “Dear Professor X”; “Good morning, Ms. XXX”

Closings: “Thank you”, “Regards”, “I look forward to hearing from you.”

Always identify yourself, refer to any previous communications and provide any other pertinent details to help the person identify you and the issue in question. 
Always use standard written English, and check for proper grammar and spelling.  It is not appropriate to use texting language such as “how r u?” or the kind of casual or shorthand language you might use with a friend or family member. 

General Guidelines: Mutual Respect

1)    Use a word processor and then paste your text into the body of your e-mail or online post. That way, you will not lose your work even if something goes wrong.

2)    Maintain a cordial, respectful tone and use standard written English in your messages. Do not use SHOUTING CAPITAL LETTERS, profanity, text abbreviations (e.g. lol, u, I). Do not ridicule or insult others. Proofread, spell check, and read carefully before submitting your work.

3)    Help your readers by writing an appropriate subject line, including your name. If you are commenting on some other material or someone else’s post, specify that so your readers will know.

4)    Do not share personal information about others, and treat any online discussions, chats or email contributions confidentially.

5)    If someone else uses inappropriate language, do not join in. You can call them on it in a courteous, respectful tone, but do not respond in kind, and do not continue the thread if it starts to get out of hand. Disagreements can take place in a civil manner. (Many public officials, unfortunately, provide examples of how not to engage in civil discourse…so do not do as they do.)

Discussion/Forum Posts and Essay Questions

Online discussions are an important component of this course and of your course grade. The discussions allow you to think about the course material and consider others’ comments. In online courses, they are the main way to exchange information and perspectives with classmates. In live classes, they allow those who are reluctant to speak out to express themselves in a different medium. It also moves us away from relying on the teacher or text as sources of all information and depends instead on all members of the class to share knowledge, experiences and insights.

In addition to following the guidelines above, always:

1)   Read the questions and think about your responses before composing them. Make sure your responses addresses the question(s) asked, and always use your own words. Find evidence from your text, readings or other reliable sources to support your responses. Keep track of the sources so you can cite them properly.

2)   Use a word processor, save your work in a safe place, and then paste your text into the response area. That way, you will not lose your work even if you are timed out or lose your connection, and you will have a copy for your records.

3)    Incorporate terms and concepts related to the course in ways that demonstrate your understanding of them.

4)    As the semester progresses, you are expected to integrate material covered previously, use examples and evidence to illustrate or support your points, and show connections among themes and concepts.

Discussion Posts and Essay Responses 

ALWAYS MUST DO - Unless specified otherwise in specific assignments:
1. Include the numbers and text of the numbered questions with your responses.
2. When you respond to a classmate, state your name and the name of the other person.
3. Minimum length - Your initial post: at least 200 words. Response posts: at least 100 words. However, it is not just about counting words. The posts should be as long as necessary for complete, thorough entries.
4. Incorporate and demonstrate your understanding of geographic terms and concepts.
5. Include citations for any outside sources used. Use APA (preferred) or MLA format. See separate guidance for proper citations.
6. Use standard, college-level English - not texting language - and well-constructed, organized sentences and paragraphs.
7. Proofread and edit - spelling and grammar count!
8. Of course, always follow all general and assignment-specific directions and guidelines.

Unless specified otherwise, discussion posts must include at least three references from the assigned material or other external sources. Use an in text citation format and, if necessary, cite works at the end of your post. If you refer to a reading assigned in the course, it is not necessary to list it in formal bibliographic form in the works cited.

Here’s an example of in-text citation of a reference from a textbook:
(Cunningham, 2017, p.95 )

Keep in mind that the main reasons for citations in our context are to keep track of sources of information, to inform readers where you obtained information and how they can find it for themselves.

Helpful references for in-text citations:

Guide for in-text citations: Purdue Owl https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/2/

Using Source Materials – Education Portal http://education-portal.com/academy/topic/using-source-materials.html

Criteria for grading 

1.  Timeliness: Did you post your response on time, before the deadline?  If the answer is no, you will earn a zero (0) for that assignment.

2.  Quality and Thoroughness: Did you answer all of the questions thoroughly and completely? Did you incorporate technical terminology appropriately? Did you demonstrate an understanding of the material? Did you provide information from reliable sources to support what you say? (Always include some examples, evidence, data, maps, graphics or images.) Did you paraphrase, summarize and cite references properly?

3.  Organization: Are your responses and explanations clear and easy to understand?  Are they structured appropriately? It is helpful to number your responses to follow the order of multi-part questions.

4.  Grammar and Mechanics: Did you write in full, complete, grammatically correct sentences in your own words?  Is your writing free of errors in spelling and mechanics and free of text messaging language such as “2”, “ u”,” i”, “plz” etc.?

5.  Tone: Did you write your comments in a respectful way, free of derogatory language?

 The rubric is designed to help you check and evaluate your own work before submitting it for grading. Be sure to follow all directions and proofread carefully. The point scale may be pro-rated.

Grading Rubric for Written Work

This rubric, based on a ten-point scale, will generally be used in grading all submitted work, including assignments, discussion posts and projects.  It is designed to help you check and evaluate your own work before submitting it for a grade. There may be additional grading criteria or rubrics provided for different assignments. Always adhere to directions and proofread and edit carefully.

          Rating                                                              Description                                                                                                                                           Grade equivalent