Education Articles from College Matching Service

Know the chat room signs and symbols. Some online schools, to facilitate a civil conversation, give certain signs and symbols special meanings. For example an ellipses (…) sometimes is put at the end of a sentence to mean there is more to come. Find out what the recommended signs and symbols are before the chat starts. You can learn the basic signs at Netlingo.com, Thinkquest.org, and Safesurfingkids.com. (Hint: If you don’t know the signs and symbols and you type in the middle of someone else’s thoughts, you will be seen as rude!)

Be patient. Some people are very slow typists and others have dial up issues. Sometimes it takes a long time for a thought to get out, so be patient. Let your professor be the gatekeeper for the discussion. (Hint: If the chat is going really slowly, review your topic notes or have baroque music playing in the background to keep your mind active and focused.)

Read what your professor has to say. In the beginning of each chat, most professors will go over the rules; let you know the order of the chat, the time limit for the chat, what’s acceptable in the chat, etc. Pay attention to these comments. The chat room is a time where the professor sees you interact with others in real time. You want to make a good impression. One of the elements of grading a chat room is almost always about following directions. (Hint: A professor may not state the element of following directions, but it will affect the subjective part of your grade.)

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