Ethical Rules of Online Communication Between University Teachers and Students

Abstract

AbstractThe integration of social networking in the education process of universities raises more and more ethical issues. This study aims to explore the students’ perceptions of the ethical issues involving online communication with the university professor. A qualitative research methodology based on the use of a semi-structured interview was designed. A total of 146 students from a state university in the northeastern part of Romania participated in the study. Preliminary results indicate that the most common ethical problems that arise in communication between students and teachers on social networks are those related to the use of inappropriate language, misunderstanding of information, failure to respect the teacher’s private time. The analysis of the frequencies of the data obtained during the interview indicates that the norms to be respected by the teachers in the online communication with the student are: manifesting appropriate attitudes, offering the teacher’s response on time to the students’ requests, respecting the confidentiality of the content of the communication.KeywordsEthical rulesOnline communicationQualitative researchStudents