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In the previous section, we discuss protecting your personal information and your passwords, and ensuring that you provide only certain information on secure websites. There’s another type of security you should be aware of when participating in an online course: your personal security. We don’t want to scare you; we simply want to remind you to stay safe when communicating online. Here are some important guidelines:

 Keep private information private. Don’t reveal too much about yourself. Almost every online course asks students to participate in an icebreaker activity. Many times, this includes revealing personal information about yourself, including your family, hobbies, and geographical location. Be sure to share this kind of information wisely. For example, feel free to say that you’re married with two kids and live in Illinois. However, don’t post your children’s names or their elementary school photos. Disclosing medical conditions is also inappropriate. Your classmates really don’t need to know you have irritable bowel syndrome.

 Guard your contact information: You may need to provide contact information to your instructor or peers when working on a group project. Again, provide only the information that’s necessary to complete the project. For example, you may want to give out your email address and possibly even a phone number, but not your street address. An instructor who needs to mail information to your home should have access to that information via the academic institution. If asked to provide that information, feel free to politely question why it is needed and who it will be shared with.

 Stay safe when meeting classmates in person: Occasionally we find students who live in the same geographical location enrolled in our classes. In this situation, students often ask whether they can meet face-to-face to complete group projects. As instructors, we think this idea is fine; however, be safe when meeting classmates for the first time. We recommend always meeting in a public place, such as a restaurant or café, during common business hours. As a precaution, you may also want to notify your instructor that you’re planning to meet, and provide the day and time. Afterward, you can provide your instructor with a summary of what you accomplished.