How to Be Successful
​What you need to KNOW

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Know & DO

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To be successful in this course, you need to KNOW:

• apply the seven norms of collaboration
• understand and agree to common ground rules
• model positive expectations and behaviours in digital learning environments by following the rules of netiquette
• that there are layers and levels to experience  when connecting to others in online course learning environments as seen in the seven degrees of connectedness
• that supports are available for accessibility, student advocacy and mental health

Norms of Collaboration

The seven norms of collaboration will allow you to function safely and thoughtfully within the digital spaces created for this course. Return and review these norms should any issues or conflict arise. The norms include

• promoting a culture of inquiry
• stopping to think, turn to wonder
• listen, reread and paraphrase to understand
• ask questions to seek clarification
• put your thoughts and ideas out there
• pay attention to the tone, reactions, word choices and feelings of others (emojiis count!)
• believe that others' ultimately have positive intentions, turn to wonder if issues or misunderstandings occur.

Review this sketch note below for clarity.

Norms of Collaboration

Common Ground in this Community of Learners

What is a community?​
A community is a group of individuals who work together in support of a common goal or interest. We are working together to support the successful achievement of our learning outcomes. You will learn from each other in this class through a process of exploration, sharing, and reflecting.

As a community member, you agree to:

1. Treat contributions made by others with respect and understand that differences in opinion, interests and abilities are not only natural but encouraged and supported.
2. Have a sense of patience, a sense of humour and a risk taking attitude with educational technology.
3. Keep an open mind and ‘turn to wonder’.
4. Ask for help when you need it and assist others when possible.
5. Contribute regularly to collaborative activities to ensure other members of the community have opportunities to read, listen, reflect and respond to your ideas.
6. Respect diverse opinions and viewpoints of each member of the community.
7. Understand that communications shared through text have a higher likelihood of being misinterpreted than the spoken word. When you type a thought, reflection or comment, read it carefully before you submit or post. Read it out loud to yourself to see if it makes sense and is grammatically correct. Rephrase or rewrite to ensure clarity.
8. Contribute regularly. With each online contribution think of your participation as part of an ongoing conversation. Each of your contributions play a role in building the content, ideas and understanding in our community.
9. Solve problems or issues through open, honest questions and active listening.
10. Report groundrule violations or unresolved issues to our community leader (your course instructor).

These groundrules are adapted from those presented by M. Pacansky-Brock under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License available from http://www.teachingwithoutwalls.com

Know the Rules of Netiquette

It will be important for you to know and follow these basic rules of 'netiquette'. These rules will be the abiding code of conduct for this course and a component of the common ground in our digital spaces.

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Understand the Seven Degrees of Connectedness

Seven Degrees of Connectedness by Rodd Lucier

When connecting to others, there are several degrees which describe relationships within​ digital spaces. There is no one right way to connect or build relationships - your comfort level, interest, fluency and confidence are factors that influence your degree of connectedness. View the infographic below, created by Rodd Lucier (@thecleversheep) to explore your personal and professional degrees of connection.
​Yes - it is OK to 'lurk' but it's only the first degree so your success depends on moving beyond this level.

Click Image to link to Online Discussion Tips for Students

Know that support is available

Support for your learning needs is available. For accessibility concerns, you can access the Student Accessibility Services. Staff will collaborate and coordinate with you to ensure that this course meets your accessibility needs. Assistive technology is also available. Access these resources through the Student Accessibility Services. This is only a phone call or email away.

Support for your mental health is available and only a phone call away. If you are a student seeking support, simple call 1-866-925-5454 or dial 2-1-1 to access GOOD TO TALK's professional counsellors or information and referral specialists at any time of the day or night. Good to Talk serves students at Ontario's publicly funded colleges and universities. This is a FREE, confidential and anonymous helpline and is available to support for a wide range of issues - loneliness, anxiety, burnout, pressure, drugs, stress, depression, debt, breakups, alcohol, friendships, etc.

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