Social Contract Template

A social contract is a collaborative agreement on social norms & rules for participation in a course. 

The idea in a social contract is that everyone knows what to expect. So we are being as clear as we can about what about what you can expect from the p2pu volunteer team, what you can expect from your peers, and what the team and your peers expect from you.

Many of the guideline are simple commons sense and simple courtesy, but since we have people from many different cultures from around the world we think its better 
Of course if you are unclear about something despite the social contract  then please ask, because doing so will help to make p2pu better.

Why a contract? Because peers, facilitators p2pu volenteers, basically everyone is agreeing to behave in a certain way because others have also agreed to behave in a certain way. You can't participate in p2pu and expect others to behave in the way that they've agreed while you don't.  

Structure of a Social Contract


Example Questions

Q1: What do I do if I think that something that a course facilitator says is wrong?
A1: This is a great opportunity for everyone to learn First re-read carefully what they wrote. Are they simplying an issue for peers who may have less knowledge or experience than you? Could you understand what they said in more than one way. Then you could pose a question to the facilitator asking how they meant something. If you still disagree, and think its important that others aren misled then explain that you disagree giving reasons and linking to your sources. Even if you've given good reasons for why you disagree the facilitator and others  may not agree with you. Thats ok, if you've explained why you think they are wrong then everyone has a chance to learn. p2pu is premised on the idea that people are able to learn from one another without an authorative final voice.

Q2: What I do if I feel deeply offended by something the tutor or another participant has said in the course?
A2: Another great opportunity for learning.  First re-read carefully what they wrote.Could you understand what  they said in more than one way. Then you could pose a question to the  facilitator asking how they meant something. If you still think its offensive then explain carefully why you think its not just wrong, but offensive to you. Its never acceptable to be offensive yourself because you see someoene else as offensive.
If you think something is offensive to others but not to you then be careful how you communicate it hard for someone accused of offending someone who is not part of a conversation to engage in an empathetic dialogue with someone who isn't there.

Zer sentitzen dut sakon zerbait aurkeztu edo parte-hartzaile batek irainduta sentitu du ikastaroan esan baduzu, I?

(Perhaps good for a tutor to focus emphasis on Hawking when they have established that there are several creationists in the class)

Q3: I was just joking around but now others are offended, why can't they join the fun?

A3: Online communication is difficult. If you intended something as a joke then you didn't take it too seriously, so its not hard to apologise for offending anyone. Obviously some kinds of joking, which is insulting to others is obviously offensive.

Q4: When should or may I edit other people's work in a wiki?

Q5: Can other people edit my work without agreement?

Q: How should  we reuse each others words and ideas within and beyond the course?

Q6: How can we support each other as peers in a learning community?

Qx: What does it mean to treat members of the class with consideration/ respect?

Q7: How can we express the way we want to treat each other in a maximum of eg 20 words?

Q8: When will you follow the guidance of the tutor and when do you want to be consulted?

Q9: What do you expect from peers when working together on a group project/ assignment?

Qz: How important is it for the members of this group to get to know about each others lives and interests beyond the course?

Q I feel like I am letting others down by just lurking, should I drop out of the course? 
A: If you are asking then you are obviously concerned about making a contribution.So your heart is in the right place. If you feel as if you have nothing to say then ask a question. Its probably a question that others are thinking too. If you can't participate in the course to your satisifaction because of time constraints then don't stress, Its ok to leave a course if you can't cope, there will most likely be opportunities to do that course again in the future.

Onu yaln?z ??kk il? dig?r bildirdi?iniz am kimi m?n, m?n ?lb?tt? terketmesi laz?md?r hiss?

Q: What is an 'ad hominem' and why should it be avoided?
A: An 'ad hominem' is an attack on a person's character rather than a reasoned response to her arguement. For example if someone says "you are an idiot" rather than saying "I disagree with you and here is why". You should not attack the character of peers. Its also not very useful to engage in ad hominems about people who aren't peers, such as authors and thinkers that you may be discussing in a course. That doesn't mean that you can't critique them for their personal failings, nor does it mean that you can't advance explanations for their views which don't reflect well on them. Instead it means that you should avoid doing so unless its central to an arguement you are making, and then you should make your reasoning very clear. For example, if you said: "Henry James was an idiot" that would be an ad hominem and also not very persuasive, if you said "Henry James is the most boring writer ever" its better because its clear its not an opinion, but its not adding much to a conversation. If you said: "Henry James writings exhibit characteristics of extreme sexual repression" and went on to give examples from his writing that would be better still.



Implies
Q: What do I need to do to participate effectively in this course?

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 wondering if we are talking about a template or about a cluster of questions to open engagement with the kinds of issues that are the most likely courses of friction/ conflict in collaborative learning
 
 Also wondering about the balance between the FAQ mode with pre-answered questions and the questions that are open for each group to engage with freshly
 
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translates as no tires Ghazal.....