Online training for Online Moderators

Aims of this online self study training

To understand the provisions of The Open University’s online forum service.
To understand the principles, rules and guidelines of the OU online forum service and be able to explain them as a moderator.
To understand the various online platforms used by the OU Students Association, the role of an Association online moderator and be able to carry out that role with confidence and authority.
To gain confidence in effectively moderating a variety of posts and threads.

Expected training outcomes

By the end of the training, you will have:
An understanding of the OU’s online forum service and the Association’s forums.
Knowledge of which forums and student online channels you have responsibility.
An understanding of the responsibilities and authority of an online moderator.
Identified and implemented principles of effective online moderation.
Confidence in moderating a variety of potential posts and threads in our channels.
An understanding of how often to visit the online platforms you are moderating.
When and how to escalate an issue or inappropriate post.
Knowledge of the support available for moderators and who to contact.

Online Moderator training topics

Each topic below corresponds with information you will need to learn more about your role as an Online Moderator. Please read through and make yourself familiar with the below content and follow the final link to confirm completion of your reading.

What is the forum service?

The online forum service is part of the academic provision of The Open University and is intended to aid study. As such, there are strict rules as to how it can be used, and as a moderator you are the trusted gatekeeper looking after this important, collaborative space.

The OU Students Association has an agreement with the University to allow us to use their facilities to co-ordinate social and welfare activities for our thousands of members. Over the years, that provision has grown to include a vast range of forums spanning the spectrum from the serious and closely related to study, to the social and purely for fun.

None of the OU Students Association forums are part of the academic provision of the University, although the students who use them feel that they add enormous value to the experience of being a student and part of the OU Community.

OU student online forums are open to all those with access to the University’s online teaching services, however, some require specific permissions to access. The Association prides itself on the fact that student volunteers moderate all our forums and that our moderators are overseen and encouraged by the Association’s elected student representatives.

The Association also has its own platforms and channels that are designed to be safe spaces for students to chat and ask questions. These may be added to as we explore other apps and online social media spaces for students to be an active part of the OU student community.

What do I need to do before I start my role?

Be familiar with the principles, rules and guidance for forums and online channels. As a prospective online moderator, you must complete all our online core training. This includes a self-directed learning package and an online interactive in person discussion session.

You may be one of our experienced moderators, but it is important you take part in the online training and in any online training sessions, as training is continually updated to consider any changes in guidance or legislation.

Furthermore, your experience will also be very helpful in supporting and encouraging our new moderators. Your confirmation as a moderator or continuing in your role is dependent on you completing all training.

To begin, it is worth making sure you have read and are familiar with the following documents (it could be helpful to save or print these out for ease of reading, let us know if you need anything printed and sent to you to support you in your role).

At the end of this training, you will also be asked to consider some scenarios using fictional but realistic examples to demonstrate what you have learnt.

This is important to ensure you have the guidance and develop the confidence you need to moderate and support the online forums.

The code of conduct for OU Students Association forums and online spaces

All Association forums have the code of conduct for OU Students Association online forums pinned in them. This means that it is visible and easily accessed in each forum, and empowers moderators to confidently moderate their forum:

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR OU STUDENTS ASSOCIATION FORUMS

By taking part in our online forums, you agree to abide by our code of conduct, below.

Please take a moment to read before engaging.

1. We ask you to show respect to each other - everyone should feel safe and welcome to participate in this space.

2. You embody our values as an organisation, which should be seen in everything we do, ensuring you act with integrity, openness, kindness and compassion, inclusivity and equality, and collaboration.

3. We are a neutral, friendly, online community, seeking to offer a safe space for all of our members, regardless of age, body size, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, sex, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, physical appearance, political opinion, race, religion (or lack thereof), technology choices, or any other characteristic or belief.

4. We have zero tolerance to bullying, harassment and discrimination. Our Values and Behaviour Policy details our expectations of users.

5. We want you to be aware that the University's Computing Code of Conduct also applies in this space.

We hope you find these forums useful throughout your studies and in finding social and moral support through our student community. The main purpose of this code is to ensure all our members and colleagues feel welcomed and valued in this space.

If you have any concerns about behaviour in one of our forums this should be reported to the moderators, and those not complying with this code will find their comments removed. Serious cases will be subject to further investigation which could result in sanctions. Please note persons asked to stop any inappropriate behaviour will be expected to comply immediately.

What do I need to do?

What do I do in the forum that I moderate?

Being an effective online moderator means you are active in our online spaces reading posts, monitoring them for off topic posts, their language, and any bullying, and quickly making decisions on acceptability.

You will be relying on the documents above when you are considering a post you may feel is not right, particularly our values and behaviours policy.

You will also answer any queries or manage any complaints that may come into the ‘Speak to your moderator’ safe space in that forum.

You will also have a dedicated and private moderator channel in our online volunteer Slack community platform

Please remember that the team of Association staff that make up OUSA-Controller are there to support by direct email and in your Slack moderator channel too.

How often will I need to moderate?

As an experienced student forum user, you will be aware that some forums and online spaces are busier than others. You will also be aware of the general tone of a forum and the users who most often post in that space.

Therefore, you will get to know the way the forum you are moderating works, but as a guide, moderators usually keep a regular eye on a forum they are moderating and spend around two hours a week in the forum.

Online moderator training

In your capacity as a moderator, you will have read and understood the principles of the OU Students Associations Comprehensive Guide to the service.

In general, you should aim to be impartial and treat all users of the online forums fairly. However, you will be expected to moderate users who do not operate within the University’s requirements, the Association’s Comprehensive Forum Guide, the code of conduct or who you believe is deliberately trying to cause hurt or disrupt the service.

What decisions will I need to make?

You will need to assess language used in a post and the tone of the comments and following posts, making decisions to intervene and take action. You will find some scenarios in this module and take part in an online training session that will help build your confidence in making those decisions.

If you need to act, you may edit a post or delete it, letting the person know why you moderated their post and why you have taken the course of action you have.

If the post is inappropriate or breaks our rules or the law, you will then escalate this to OUSA-Controller.

You will have the option to lock the thread if it is too long or going off topic. You will also be able to place a warning in the thread, or “post as moderator” and “mark post as important” in relation to placing a warning.

Exercising good judgement

You will need to consider and come to a conclusion about the appropriateness of some forum posts that you read as well as those brought to your attention by other forum users.

Moderators should try to be consistent in their approach, treating all users fairly and applying the rules whilst avoiding being overzealous or heavy-handed. It can take time to find the right balance, but when you do you will find that the forum will generally run smoothly.

Reference to the code of conduct will be a good guide here, and you can always discuss any issues with other moderators or OUSA-Controller if you are ever in doubt.

Ultimately, you will need to sensible conclusions about a thread when a debate appears forceful and vigorous or when it has contravened the rules. Again, reminding users of the code of conduct can help.

Importantly, we need to look out for the safety and welfare of all forum contributors by removing any personal information that might identify them, such as phone numbers or email addresses in posts unless they specifically indicate they want to put it in the public domain.

Discrimination and inappropriate comments

Discrimination which is against the Equality Act 2010 is unlawful. You will need to act swiftly in response to discriminatory posts and language, and inappropriate comments.

Any posts that are discriminatory and relate to protected characteristics must be removed and reported to OUSA Controller as soon as possible.

Protected characteristics include:

Age

Disability

Gender Reassignment (including gender, gender expression, gender identity)

Marriage and civil partnership

Pregnancy and maternity

Race (including caste, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)

Religion or belief (including having no religion)

Sex

Sexual orientation

The OU goes further, and includes as protected characteristics caring for dependants, membership of the Traveller community, trades union membership status, and socio-economic background. It also includes for OU employees only, type of employment contract (e.g. part-time, full-time).

Messages containing personal insults and comments that you – or another forum user consider – inappropriate or hurtful will also need to be dealt with as quickly as possible.

Please refer to our Voluntter Policy and in particular to the Values and Behaviour Policyfor guidance. You can find out more about this in the scenarios below, and again, the code of conduct will help here.

Who do I reach out to for support?

Support for our moderators and the administration of the OU Students Association forums is delegated to a member of Association staff, known as OUSA-Controller.

OUSA-Controller is part of the Association’s Operations team and comprises a team of staff who will provide support and advice as well as signpost to other information.

Furthermore, it may be useful to remind forum users that there are members of staff behind the OUSA-Controller identity working hard for the benefit of both forum users and moderators. As such, the code of conduct supports OUSA-Controller too.

OUSA Controller can be contacted by email at: ousa-controller@open.ac.uk

As well as OUSA Controller and the Operations team, you will be supported by our Volunteering & Representation team. They will be able to answer any general queries about your volunteering journey and support you with training and wellbeing.

The Volunteering & Representation team can be contacted by email at: oustudents-volunteer@open.ac.uk

Looking after your wellbeing

You will likely be carrying out your role at home, so please be mindful of your workspace and wellbeing. Make sure you are comfortable and take breaks away from the screen.

Socialising online is now a vital part of our lives — it helps us feel more connected, helps build our student community, and makes it easier to stay in touch and maintain those connections. It has other benefits, too, such as allowing us to find new friends through shared interests and preserve memories. But we all know that online spaces aren’t without their downsides…

Here are some simple steps to take care of yourself and others when in online spaces:

1. Set your boundaries. It may be the times you chose to moderate, what device you use when moderating, and making sure all notifications are off when you go to sleep.

2. Be firm about how long you’ll spend each time you do your moderating.

3. Talk to your fellow moderators, OUSA-Controller and the Volunteering &

4. Representation team if anything is worrying you in your role.

5.Drink water to keep hydrated – we all know the drying effects of screen time…

6.Go easy on yourself! You work hard to ensure that your online community is healthy, happy, and safe. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done and treat yourself to some self-care.

Remember, you want to be the example of how you wish your members to interact.

Be visible, positive, and encouraging!

Showing everyone in that space that that you are there is important.

If for some reason you are not able to moderate for a while for whatever reason please let OUSA-Controller know that you will not be checking that forum, so they can look to support and provide cover.

Practice scenarios

Content Warning

The scenarios below are taken from real-life situations and so include strong language and behaviours that you may feel are discomforting and upsetting. You may encounter such posts and threads in your role as an online moderator, and we want you to feel fully equipped, empowered and confident in handling them.

If you have any concerns or questions, please leave the training and reach out to OUSA Controller at ousa-controller@open.ac.ukbefore continuing.

In the following moderating scenarios: Exercise 1 there are some exercises that relate to the inappropriate message type.

In the second part, the exercises focus on a less obvious type of message, where greater consideration and discretion will be needed.

Any complaints to moderators should be investigated, most importantly to see if they contravene the OU’s Student Computing Code of Conduct, Online Systems Guidelines, and our code of conduct for OU Students Association forums.

It is also important to consider the context of the post, and any forum history relating to it. There is rarely one response that is correct, so you as moderator – reaching out to other moderators if you need to - should aim to consider every incident thoroughly and reach a conclusion.

In all the following fictional examples, the messages were the subject of a complaint to the moderator - please also note moderators can take action without a complaint having been made.

Taking into consideration the University’s requirements, the Comprehensive Guide to the OU Students Association’s Forum Service and our code of conduct, how would you deal with each of the following messages?

Options A - F are possible moderator responses but certainly not the only ones. In the discussion that accompanies the most correct response, some of the issues that need to be thought about and a suggested response are considered:

Consider the following message:

“I’m not sure that you quite understand what it was I was trying to get at. Why don’t you read my message again?”

Consider the options A to F below and select your choice.

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: C

Consider the following message:

“That isn’t what I meant stupid. Try reading it again and see if you are any wiser.”

Consider the options A to F below and select your choice.
A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: C

Consider the following message:

“If I thought you could string a few words together coherently, I might even read some of the bilge you come up with. Until that time, I wouldn’t bother sending any more messages to this forum if I were you.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the code of conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: E

Consider the following message:

“Well, I think that sort of thing is hocus-pocus. You’re letting a vivid imagination get the better of you.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: B

Consider the following message:

“That is complete and utter nonsense. Are you really trying to have us believe that you were visited in the dead of night by little green men from another planet? What do you think we are – complete Muppets.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: C & D

Consider the following message:

“This is a message for Julie H. Hi Jules! Long-time no hear :-) Glad you’re back in the forum. Is the family well and has the cat had its kittens yet.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: C

Consider the following message:

“I’m leaving the area for the Diwali celebrations. There are days and days of endless fireworks and it’s like living in a war zone.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: C

Consider the following message:

“Now that exams are finished, would anyone in the London area fancy meeting up for a Chinky.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: C

Consider the following message:

“Anyone like to buy a brand-new exercise bike. Only used twice unless you count the fact that most nights I hang my shirt on it. Only fifty quid and could deliver in the Newcastle area.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: C & D

Consider the following message:

“It’s a well-known fact that Darwin was misguided, and a lot of his research results were just invented. It’s a well-known fact that God is an invention of man rather than the other way round.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: A

Scenarios part two

There are OU Student Association forums where healthy discussion is encouraged, and this is reflected in the code of conduct.

This means that newcomers to the forum will have an idea as to what they can expect and what is expected of them.

On certain forums, strong differences of opinion are apparent as students debate subjects such as politics, religion, international affairs, sport and even soap operas, all of which can provoke forceful arguments and counter-argument. This is often what makes for exciting and dynamic forums; however, personal attacks and bullying should not be confused with healthy debate.

Again, the fictional messages in these examples have had complaints raised against them. Not all of them are straightforward or easy to see where they might be at fault in the first reading.

Although there are circumstances where the University’s and Association’s requirements have been breached, it is important to consider the context in which the message was posted when addressing a complaint. While these messages were the subject of a complaint, that doesn’t mean a moderator needs to wait for a complaint before acting.

If a message clearly contravenes the rules, then it should be unapproved immediately. As before, if a moderator is unsure if a message contravenes the rules, it is best to temporarily unapprove the message and confer with other moderators, regardless of whether a complaint has been made or not.

As in the first series of examples, it is difficult to advise an exact right or wrong answer; different circumstances will dictate different responses. The suggested best option and discussion aim to offer an insight into what to consider when coming to a conclusion.

As with Exercise 1, taking into consideration the University’s requirements, the Comprehensive Guide to the OU Students Association’s Forum Service as well as the code of conduct, how would you deal with each of the following messages?

Consider the following message:

“Everyone on this conference has the right to their own opinion and your message are not only extremely patronising, they do nothing to take the debate forward.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: B

Consider the following message:

“I wouldn’t say that message annoyed me, it totally pissed me off.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from the other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: C & D

Consider the following message:

“Coronation Street is getting so predictable. I don’t know if I can be arsed to watch it these days.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: C

Consider the following message:

“Some of the contributors to this forum seem very hostile and unwilling to consider points of view that differ to theirs and are also very reluctant to enter into a proper debate. End of message”.

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: B

Consider the following message:

“In my opinion, you Mods are abusing your position and removing perfectly acceptable messages from some of the contributors in this forum”.

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: E

Consider the following message:

“Why can’t you just keep out of the conversation? This forum does not belong to you. You’re nothing but an interfering busy body making the most of your little bit of power”.

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of Conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: E

Consider the following message:

“Funny how those of us who drank AND smoked a certain substance couldn’t get up the next morning. Wonder why!”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the code of conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: C & D

Consider the following message:

“My next-door neighbour has a real chip on her shoulder because she was adopted. But I put it down to the fact that she wasn’t told until she was thirty-two. Mind you, she has always wondered why she was treated differently from her brothers and sisters.”

Consider the options A to F below:

A: Do not delete the message and advise the complainant the complaint has not been upheld.
B: As option A but contact the contributor to remind them of the rules.
C: Uphold the complaint and delete the message, advising the contributor which rule has been contravened.
D: Put a message in the forum about the rules and the Code of conduct.
E: As option C and refer to OUSA Controller for an apology or seek additional support from other moderators.
F: As option E and refer to OUSA Controller for further action.

The best answer is: C

We hope you found this exercise useful, even if it is only for a refresher.

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