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“Netiquette” (Proper Online Etiquette)1
The rules for online and classroom learning are virtually the same: You study, take notes, attend classes and participate.
Online learning happens in virtual classrooms, which means you should act appropriately just as if you were physically in
class. Here are 5 basic rules of netiquette that will help you be successfully:
1. Be respectful. While it is easier to say hurtful or disrespectful things without standing face-to-face with
someone, it is important to remember that your classmates and faculty are real people who are affected by the
words you say and write. It is essential to keep in mind the feelings and opinions of others, even if they differ
from your own. When you’re working online, you’re safe behind a screen, but that’s no excuse to be rude or say
things you would never say in public. If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t say it online either.
2. Be forgiving. If you’re offended by something another student says online, keep in mind that you may have
misunderstood their intentions. Give them the benefit of the doubt and have a conversation with that person
before jumping to conclusions.
3. Respect others’ privacy. Don’t give out another student’s personal email address without permission; and
remember, if it’s on the internet, it’s everywhere. Don’t share personal information about yourself in a public
online forum, especially something that could put your safety or security at risk.
4. Yes, grammar and spelling matter. In texts or on social media, shorthand, abbreviations or emojis are
acceptable. But for online learning, please keep your written communication professional. For example, emails
should contain a header (Professor X,), body, and closing (Thank you, Student Name).
5. Cite your sources. Whenever you are sharing an idea that originated from someone else (even if it is not word
for word), it is good practice to cite that source. This applies to discussion forums too. If you read a great
thought in your text, share it, but be sure you let your audience know where you saw it first.
Zoom Etiquette and On-Camera Tips2
1. Be aware of your audio and video settings.
a. Light your face more brightly than the background to make it easier to see you.
b. Microphones pick up all ambient noise, so keep your mic muted until it's your time to speak.
2. Look into the camera when talking instead of looking at yourself.
a. Direct eye contact into the camera while speaking gives attendees the impression that you are looking
at them, which helps everyone feel engaged and present in the conversation.
b. If you can't use video, upload a nice profile image of your face to your Zoom Account.
3. People can see you! Be aware of the image you display.
a. This includes the clothing you wear and the activities you engage in during the Zoom meeting, like eating
or having a side conversation (even if your microphone is muted).
b. Is there anything behind you that you don’t want everyone else to see (like your family watching TV)?
4. Eliminate distractions and focus on the agenda.
a. Notifications from messaging applications, ringtones, and applications running on your desktop can be
distracting, which can make your attendees feel disrespected and undervalued.
5. Most important: Be yourself and work to learn. Together, we can make online learning a rewarding experience.
*Please also take a look at this handout for more Zoom meeting tips*
1. Adapted from the University of Texas at El Paso (https://www.utep.edu); and Achieve Virtual Education
(https://achievevirtual.org)
2. Adapted from: Humbolt state University (http://humbolt.edu); and ZoomBlog https://blog.zoom.us)
Teaching Students to use Zoom3
● Accessing Zoom: Remind your students to visit the Springfield Zoom website, https://springfield.zoom.us, and
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
log in from there to download the Zoom app on their devices. Have them do this before the first class meeting.
Zoom Tour: Give your students a tour of Zoom during your first class session and teach them how to mute and
unmute themselves. See: Attendee Controls in a Meeting
WebCams: Determine if you will require students to have their computer or mobile device webcams on during
the whole class session, or if they can turn their video off. Set this as a class rule during your first Zoom meeting.
Choosing a Space: Remind your students to be aware of what is happening behind them when their webcams
are on, particularly when it comes to other people who might be in the background. For additional guidance
have them read: What spaces can I use Zoom in? and How can I set a virtual background in my Zoom video?
Raising a Hand: Let students know how you want them to get your attention in a Zoom meeting. In small
classes, some professors ask students to raise their hands on their web cameras. Others ask students to unmute
themselves and simply chime in. In larger classes, you may want to consider enabling Zoom’s built-in nonverbal
feedback icons. See: How do I review Zoom's additional settings? and Non-Verbal Feedback During Meetings
Eye Contact: Demonstrate to your students that to maintain eye contact in Zoom they should look at their
webcams when possible, not their screens. The attached student handout on Netiquette is a helpful resource for
setting expectations with your students.
Setting Ground Rules: Set some ground rules on how you want your students to use Zoom's chat feature, and
consider disabling the private chat setting, unless you want your students to be able to send one-to-one
messages to other students without you seeing them. See: How do I review Zoom's additional settings? and
Zoom (Webinar) Chat
Note Taking Show your students how to have the Zoom window and a notepad app open simultaneously. See:
How can I take notes when using Zoom?
Tips from the FBI and Zoom for preventing Zoombombing:
● Keep meetings and classrooms private. Consider the use of the "Waiting Room" feature to control who enters.
● Do not share invites to Zoom meetings on social media. Send the meeting password directly to attendees.
● Use a random meeting ID. According to Zoom's website, this is safer than using a "Personal Meeting ID."
● Change screensharing settings to "Only Host," and use the settings to mute participants as needed.
● Lock a Zoom session that has already begun by clicking "Participants" on the bottom bar, then "Lock Meeting."
● Permanently remove participants by hovering over their name in the Participants menu, and clicking "Remove."
● And this, from zoom itself: https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/03/20/keep-uninvited-guests-out-of-yourzoom-event/
3. Adapted from http://tuftsedtech.screenstepslive.com/s/19028/m/94934/l/1213457-how-can-i-teach-my-students-to-use-zoom
The rules for online and classroom learning are virtually the same: You study, take notes, attend classes and participate.
Online learning happens in virtual classrooms, which means you should act appropriately just as if you were physically in
class. Here are 5 basic rules of netiquette that will help you be successfully:
1. Be respectful. While it is easier to say hurtful or disrespectful things without standing face-to-face with
someone, it is important to remember that your classmates and faculty are real people who are affected by the
words you say and write. It is essential to keep in mind the feelings and opinions of others, even if they differ
from your own. When you’re working online, you’re safe behind a screen, but that’s no excuse to be rude or say
things you would never say in public. If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t say it online either.
2. Be forgiving. If you’re offended by something another student says online, keep in mind that you may have
misunderstood their intentions. Give them the benefit of the doubt and have a conversation with that person
before jumping to conclusions.
3. Respect others’ privacy. Don’t give out another student’s personal email address without permission; and
remember, if it’s on the internet, it’s everywhere. Don’t share personal information about yourself in a public
online forum, especially something that could put your safety or security at risk.
4. Yes, grammar and spelling matter. In texts or on social media, shorthand, abbreviations or emojis are
acceptable. But for online learning, please keep your written communication professional. For example, emails
should contain a header (Professor X,), body, and closing (Thank you, Student Name).
5. Cite your sources. Whenever you are sharing an idea that originated from someone else (even if it is not word
for word), it is good practice to cite that source. This applies to discussion forums too. If you read a great
thought in your text, share it, but be sure you let your audience know where you saw it first.
Zoom Etiquette and On-Camera Tips2
1. Be aware of your audio and video settings.
a. Light your face more brightly than the background to make it easier to see you.
b. Microphones pick up all ambient noise, so keep your mic muted until it's your time to speak.
2. Look into the camera when talking instead of looking at yourself.
a. Direct eye contact into the camera while speaking gives attendees the impression that you are looking
at them, which helps everyone feel engaged and present in the conversation.
b. If you can't use video, upload a nice profile image of your face to your Zoom Account.
3. People can see you! Be aware of the image you display.
a. This includes the clothing you wear and the activities you engage in during the Zoom meeting, like eating
or having a side conversation (even if your microphone is muted).
b. Is there anything behind you that you don’t want everyone else to see (like your family watching TV)?
4. Eliminate distractions and focus on the agenda.
a. Notifications from messaging applications, ringtones, and applications running on your desktop can be
distracting, which can make your attendees feel disrespected and undervalued.
5. Most important: Be yourself and work to learn. Together, we can make online learning a rewarding experience.
*Please also take a look at this handout for more Zoom meeting tips*
1. Adapted from the University of Texas at El Paso (https://www.utep.edu); and Achieve Virtual Education
(https://achievevirtual.org)
2. Adapted from: Humbolt state University (http://humbolt.edu); and ZoomBlog https://blog.zoom.us)
Teaching Students to use Zoom3
● Accessing Zoom: Remind your students to visit the Springfield Zoom website, https://springfield.zoom.us, and
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
log in from there to download the Zoom app on their devices. Have them do this before the first class meeting.
Zoom Tour: Give your students a tour of Zoom during your first class session and teach them how to mute and
unmute themselves. See: Attendee Controls in a Meeting
WebCams: Determine if you will require students to have their computer or mobile device webcams on during
the whole class session, or if they can turn their video off. Set this as a class rule during your first Zoom meeting.
Choosing a Space: Remind your students to be aware of what is happening behind them when their webcams
are on, particularly when it comes to other people who might be in the background. For additional guidance
have them read: What spaces can I use Zoom in? and How can I set a virtual background in my Zoom video?
Raising a Hand: Let students know how you want them to get your attention in a Zoom meeting. In small
classes, some professors ask students to raise their hands on their web cameras. Others ask students to unmute
themselves and simply chime in. In larger classes, you may want to consider enabling Zoom’s built-in nonverbal
feedback icons. See: How do I review Zoom's additional settings? and Non-Verbal Feedback During Meetings
Eye Contact: Demonstrate to your students that to maintain eye contact in Zoom they should look at their
webcams when possible, not their screens. The attached student handout on Netiquette is a helpful resource for
setting expectations with your students.
Setting Ground Rules: Set some ground rules on how you want your students to use Zoom's chat feature, and
consider disabling the private chat setting, unless you want your students to be able to send one-to-one
messages to other students without you seeing them. See: How do I review Zoom's additional settings? and
Zoom (Webinar) Chat
Note Taking Show your students how to have the Zoom window and a notepad app open simultaneously. See:
How can I take notes when using Zoom?
Tips from the FBI and Zoom for preventing Zoombombing:
● Keep meetings and classrooms private. Consider the use of the "Waiting Room" feature to control who enters.
● Do not share invites to Zoom meetings on social media. Send the meeting password directly to attendees.
● Use a random meeting ID. According to Zoom's website, this is safer than using a "Personal Meeting ID."
● Change screensharing settings to "Only Host," and use the settings to mute participants as needed.
● Lock a Zoom session that has already begun by clicking "Participants" on the bottom bar, then "Lock Meeting."
● Permanently remove participants by hovering over their name in the Participants menu, and clicking "Remove."
● And this, from zoom itself: https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/03/20/keep-uninvited-guests-out-of-yourzoom-event/
3. Adapted from http://tuftsedtech.screenstepslive.com/s/19028/m/94934/l/1213457-how-can-i-teach-my-students-to-use-zoom