Class Interactions
In each course Web site, your instructor will ask you to introduce yourself when the class begins. Explaining who you are and what you're interested helps the professor understand your goals and interests in the course, and helps your fellow students get to know you and contribute their class participation materials with you in mind.
Part of "introducing yourself" is always observing online etiquette. You can find general netiquette guidelines by searching the Internet; Hebrew College Online's guidelines include:
- Remember that you are in a graduate-level classroom setting: it's important to show interest in, and respect for, the views of a diverse student group while sharing your own views.
- Always follow the instructor's guidelines about length, depth, and focus for online assignments. Stay on topic in online discussions.
- Follow the instructor's guidelines about whether to review other students' contributions before submitting your own. If not specified, the assumption is usually that you will do so.
- Make sure any text messages you share are clear. Since this isn't a real-time conversation, other students cannot help you and themselves by requesting instant explanation. Compose your posts carefully. Quick thoughts with unexplained associations are not appropriate. Concise brevity is.
- Except when you are instructed otherwise, your posts are for your fellow students as much as your teachers. Please write complete thoughts. If you are tying in your comments with questions prompted by the instructor, make sure that's clear.
- Make sure any references to sources are substantial enough for fellow students to follow your thoughts so they can digest your ideas and respond appropriately.
- Jokes don't translate well and it's recommended you don't try them, especially puns or irony since they require tone of voice and body language to get across. If you do attempt a joke, you'll need to accompany it with an explanation.
- Observe punctuation and grammar conventions. Using all caps is equivalent to shouting, which is generally not done in a classroom.
- Do not be intimidated by students who display great erudition in a particular area. It can feel intimidating, and in this sense, online courses are no easier for the shy student than live ones. But it is key to conversation that students air questions and issues to discuss among themselves. Our students are always from a variety of backgrounds, and that variety is key to a rich learning experience for all participants to gain new perspectives and greater understanding.
- Read over your responses before posting to make sure that your tone is friendly (not too sure of yourself or challenging in a too forceful or impolite) and that you don't come across with your answers sounding as if you have the only true possible answer. Temper your remarks appropriately, just as for a face-to-face academic classroom. (It's best to work on a post beforehand in a word processor and not post it into the discussion board until you are happy with it. You can also take advantage of the "preview" button to see the post as it will look in the discussion board before clicking "submit".)
- If you have any questions about the online participation for your course, please do not hesitate to discuss this with your instructor or with any staff or faculty of Hebrew College Online.
