Many college professors—especially those who teach online courses—now communicate with students almost exclusively through eMail or web chat services built into course management systems. Claudio said he writes up to 100 eMail messages a day to students and colleagues that are part of a civil exchange, not a diatribe that would draw the attention from millions on the internet.
“That instance [at NYU] is one eMail among how many millions that get sent by professors and students every single day?” he said.
The speed of electronic messaging was underscored again last week when a Georgetown University law professor told students that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts would announce his resignation by the end of the day, according to the legal blog, Above the Law.
The law students texted and eMailed friends and family, and within minutes, gossip site RadarOnline.com trumpeted a headline about Roberts leaving the land’s highest court. Popular sites like DrudgeReport and Huffington Post followed suit, and Supreme Court spokespeople had to deny the rumor that started in a lecture hall.
Educators and experts in internet etiquette, or “netiquette,” agreed that there are “unspoken rules” about how to communicate with students in person and via the web.
Michelle Cimino, author of Netiquette: Tips for Adults and Teens, said that while college faculty should be careful with eMail messages, students also should be expected to exercise manners when communicating with their professors, even if they’re lodging a complaint about class rules.
It’s easy to feel a “sense of bravery because you are in the comfort of your own home, in your jammies, writing a mean eMail … when in fact, you wouldn’t have the guts to say the same thing face to face,” said Cimino, who also writes about cell phone etiquette.
“Would that NYU student have been able to talk to Galloway in person? I personally applaud Professor Galloway. I love the fact he sets this young man in his place and reminds him about manners.”
Links:
- Research: Social media has negative impact on academic performance - April 2, 2020
- Number 1: Social media has negative impact on academic performance - December 31, 2014
- 6 reasons campus networks must change - September 30, 2014
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