4.1 Acceptable Use Policy
The Online Consortium Hosting Service (OCHS)
As part of an educational 'community of learners,' all participants, including Online Administrators, teachers, and students, must agree to a set of guidelines and standards for online behaviour. These guidelines are designed to protect participants as well as to ensure that the online environment is used strictly for educational purposes. Your district or teachers may provide additional guidelines.
Items within this Acceptable Use Policy fall into the following categories: netiquette, account integrity, privacy, rules of behaviour, and compliance.
A. Netiquette
Netiquette refers to behaviour online, and it is very important in a public and educational system. The basic
premise under which to operate, whether you are a student, a teacher, or an administrator, is that every participant using
the delivery system must be treated with respect. The online discussions are open to all members of your class and the
messages you post to those discussions reflect your personality and behaviour.
Netiquette Guidelines
- Humour and sarcasm do not read well in a print-based medium and can be offensive to others.
- Text-based messages lack 'body language' and voice inflections. Messages can seem unintentionally blunt or
terse. Using closing salutations or 'smileys' at the end of notes can help make your messages more friendly.
- Participants include many different people of different genders, cultures, ages, ability, religions, and
experiences. You must be sensitive to the feelings of others in this delivery environment.
B. Account Integrity
You, the user, are responsible for your own account. You are responsible for discussion notes, file transfers, or any other
data transmitted with your account. For your own protection, it is important that you do not let anyone else know
your ID and password.
Account Integrity Guidelines
- Do not tell anyone what your password is.
- Do not ever leave a note with your password near your computer.
- Users who believe their password has been compromised should contact their Online Administrator to have it
changed.
C. Privacy
Generally, class discussions will be moderated by teachers. However, host site and school administrative staff reserve the
right to view class discussions if there are indications of misbehaviour, and to work with the class teacher and Online
Administrator to deal with offensive language or any other breakage of the following Rules of Behaviour.
D. Rules of Behaviour
The following rules of behaviour are serious and must be followed:
- The OCHS provides an educational delivery environment for teachers and students. It must be used for
educational purposes.
- Online courses must not be used for commercial purposes in any way except for specific course related
activities such as Career and Personal Planning 11/12 work discussions and Entrepreneurship 12 activities.
- Offensive material such as pornography, harassment, hate literature, or that which discriminates against
another person for reasons such as gender, culture, ethnicity, religion, disability will not be tolerated.
- Swearing, offensive language, and harassment of another person will not be tolerated.
If these Rules of Behaviour are violated, host site and school administrative staff will consult with the district Online
Administrator and the class teacher. Offending participants may be removed from accessing online courses.
E. Compliance
It is the responsibility of the participating district to ensure that anyone accessing and modifying content, posting
comments or information, creating links to external information sources and/or making any other changes to OCHS provided
products and services conform to acceptable educational standards held within the governing jurisdiction.
The Online Administrator will register, with OCHS through Open School BC, each individual User that is accessing, viewing,
using, and/or modifying OCHS provided online products and services.
Links included within OCHS-provided online products and services are intended for educational purposes; OCHS and its
service providers are not responsible for the content, connection, or functionality of these links. |
