Civility Clauses
From ElateWiki
Different online courses may include so-called civility clauses. These are statements of expectations for how students will interact with each other, particularly when engaging issues that are controversial, personal, difficult, or potentially, even private.
Contents |
A Culture of Safety
The rationale behind civility clauses is to create a culture of safety, where a range of ideas may be conceptualized, articulated, and exchanged. In the flat-affect environment of online textual communications and the distance in more sensory-rich interactions (such as live voice and video), some faculty find it necessary to emphasize the need for civility and mutual respect.
Faculty may also fall back on the written clause if a discussion gets too controversial.
Some Contents
Civility clauses generally set guidelines for discourse. They discourage interruptions. They head off personal attacks. They discourage the use of rude language. They discourage over-dominance by speakers. They encourage a range of discussion points or stances.
Faculty facilitate the discussions to support the "reality" of civility in online classrooms.