University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The Grainger College of Engineering

Online Communication

Communication within the online learning environment is the key to a successful learning experience. It is extremely important that the student, the professor, and TA remember to use netiquette when corresponding electronically. Everyone must be respectful and know what is acceptable and not acceptable in the virtual learning environment. It is extremely important to remember that there is another person on the other end reading the communication sent. The Grainger College of Engineering expects everyone to use the following netiquette protocol below.

  • Remember the person on the other end. It is o.k. to stand up for yourself and state your points as long as it is done in a professional manner. Communicate with the person as if you were talking to them face-to-face. Please note that offensive language is not allowed and will not be tolerated.
  • Use the same ethics and morals as if you were face-to-face with the person or class.
  • Respect other people's time. Look in the syllabus to understand the response time for the professor and TA. In addition, respect your colleagues time as well. Everyone has a life outside the online learning environment.
  • Present yourself using a positive outlook. Use excellent writing skills in your emails, chats, and blogs.
  • Respect your colleagues privacy just like you would in a face-to-face meeting or classroom.
  • Avoid heated discussions.

When using email communication, it is important to keep a copy of your email for your own records. This will allow you to look back and see what type of correspondance has been sent. When you send an email, please be clear and concise in your email to avoid any miscommunication. Make sure the email also includes all the important information related the to topic of the email. Before sending the email, take a moment to re-read your email before you send it. This allows you time to reflect on how it is worded and how the receiver may interpret the email. Lastly, it is a good idea to develop a signature that is used on all your emails that includes your first and last name and email address. This helps the professor, TA, or other students to be able to quickly identify who is sending the email.