I've always thought that the use of "LOL," smiley faces, etc. was unprofessional to use in email communication, so I felt these should be avoided in online discussions. However, I'm learning that students may feel more connected, less intimidated, and better able to understand each other's intent with these allowed. I feel that I should specify which "tone" I would like for different assignments (i.e. conversational/emojis allowed versus professional) to incorporate different types of communication.
