We encourage instructors to invite their students to participate on the Commons and explore possibilities for teaching and learning on the open web.

Instructors must carefully consider what they ask their students to make public and should always vigilantly attend to students’ privacy. Commons Groups and Sites have variable privacy settings can be used to control visibility so instructors and students should discuss and decide what settings they want to use for their course.

Many class groups are private and can only be seen by the professor and class members. Some course websites sites are private, but others are open to the world wide web. Instructors should be sure to discuss the course privacy settings with students and make sure students have an understanding of how the chosen settings determine who will be able to see their work on the Commons. If students are uncomfortable with doing work in a semi-public or open space, it is paramount that instructors provide students with another options for completing course work that does not require public participation.

Using Aliases

One way Commons users can protect their privacy is by using an alias to cloak their identities. You can input an alias in the Display Name field in your profile. will be connected to your content or activity on the Commons, and therefore must be visible to everyone. But you do not need to use your real name in the “Display Name” field, and you can instead choose to use an alias  (though you should never use a real name associated with another person, living or dead). If you decide to use an alias and you are a student or working with colleagues on the Commons, you will need to let your instructor and colleagues know what name you go by on the Commons.