May 12 2008
Are Online Students Ruder Than Other Students?
Are Online Students Ruder Than Other Students?
Many of my online instructor colleagues have mentioned instances where their online students sent them an e-mail message that was surprisingly unprofessional or downright rude. Like many online professors, I also have experience working in the traditional, on-campus classroom, and the perception is that students who know you personally are less likely to be so callous. But is that really true?
False sense of anonymity?
This opens up a series of questions:
- Does the online learning environment create a false sense of anonymity that fosters a bolder or more aggressive communication approach?
- Or are online students just less skilled than expected in professional written communication?
What do you think? Are online students ruder than the average student?
[Of course, remember to keep it professional. Avoid using names or identifying references in your comments. Instead, let’s help one another better understand online interactions and exchange tips on how to handle some tough situations. Of course, the number of polite and professional students far outweighs the bad apples, but it’s nice to know how to better handle the rudeness if it comes along.]
