Transcript Slide 1

Entrance Into
the World of Scholars
Hillary Wentworth, Writing Specialist
Session Breakdown
Written Communication in an Asynchronous
Setting:
• What is expected?
• What is appropriate to expect from others?
• Viewing written correspondence as the
intersection of audience, purpose, and tone.
• E-mail and discussion post etiquette, cyber
civility, and modeling excellence.
Take a Moment to Reflect
Be honest with yourself.
Have you ever:
• Compared yourself to a classmate based on
what he or she wrote in a discussion post?
• Made an assumption about a classmate based
on what he or she wrote in a discussion post?
• Discredited a classmate’s discussion post
because of the quality of the writing?
• Experienced any of the above in the
workplace when reading e-mails, memos, and
so forth?
What Would You Do If…
You read this on a discussion thread:
The move from a structuralist account in which capital is
understood to structure social relations in relatively homologous
ways to a view of hegemony in which power relations are subject
to repetition, convergence, and rearticulation brought the
question of temporality into the thinking of structure, and marked
a shift from a form of Althusserian theory that takes structural
totalities as theoretical objects to one in which the insights into
the contingent possibility of structure inaugurate a renewed
conception of hegemony as bound up with the contingent sites
and strategies of the rearticulation of power.
All one sentence!
What Would You Do If…
You were assigned to write a persuasive group
paper about insects and one of your group
members contributed this:
Inflammatory language
The country of Alvania has a problem. That problem, specifically, is the
lack of laws governing insect cruelty in Alvania. Several groups of activists
have banned together to pass laws so that crickets and cockroaches no
longer have to suffer at the hands of the heartless, emotionless Alvanian
people. Evidence exists that suggests that the young boys and girls in
Alvania suffer mental illness because of the way their parents slaughter and
consume insects. The point is that killing and eating insects in Alvania is an
injustice.
Citation?
What Would You Do If…
You received this message:
“We are getting less than 40 hours of work from a large
number of our EMPLOYEES. As managers, you either do not
know what your EMPLOYEES are doing or you do not
CARE. In either case, you have a problem and you will fix it
or I will replace you. NEVER in my career have I allowed a
team which worked for me to think they had a 40-hour job. I
have allowed YOU to create a culture which is permitting this.
NO LONGER. You have two weeks. Tick Tock!” (Delves,
2001)
What Do These Examples Show?
Present Yourself Well
Pay attention to
• how your words will be received based on
word choice and the evidence you present
• how your words come together to form a
coherent thought
• how your words come together to reflect a
strong understanding of written English.
What Do These Examples Show?
Be Courteous
• The golden rule still works; do unto others
as you would have them do unto you.
• Pay attention to your emotional reaction
and present a civil tone even when you do
not agree with the content of a post or
message.
• Be aware of your audience, purpose, and
tone to create a culture of communication
excellence.
Asynchronous Communication
• Most of the communication you will have
while here at Walden and in the professional
world will be asynchronous, meaning that it
does not happen in real time.
• Unlike a traditional classroom environment
(e.g., raising your hand, discussing in a
group), your written self will represent
you as a Walden student
Asynchronous Communication
• Most asynchronous communication you
have comes in the form of e-mail and
discussion posts.
• Exceptions exist, but the following
information can enhance the quality of
asynchronous written communication and
help facilitate online discussion.
E-mail Etiquette
E-mail: Subject Lines Rock!
Good subject lines are arrows to the message
that you are sending:
• All important information should be
available in the subject line.
• People are less likely to lose the e-mail.
• People are less likely to ignore it.
E-mail: Use Salutations
In initial communication, use salutations to
ease into back and forth electronic
conversations. Personalize
correspondence, just as you would in a
formal letter.
RE: Request to attend conference
RE: Request to attend conference
No can do.
Hi, Maria. Sorry . . . We just don’t
have money in the budget right
now.
All the best,
Betty
E-mail: Reply vs. Reply All
Questions to ask when you choose Reply All:
• Does everyone need to know?
• Do I want everyone to know?
• Could this message upset anyone on the
original e-mail?
• Who is the audience for this piece of
communication?
E-mail: Be Concise
• Using an economy of words is essential.
Paragraphs v. Bullet Points
Before we get started with the project,
we need to make sure that we nominate a
team leader (I am willing to volunteer),
create a calendar of timelines and due
dates, set up our group work space on
Blackboard, and set up an appointment
with the Writing Center.
Before we get started with the project, we
need to:
- Nominate a team leader
- Create a calendar of timelines and due
dates
- Set up our group work space on
Blackboard
- Set up an appointment with the Writing
Center.
E-mail: Be Concise
• Having read your message, the reader
should know exactly what you need and
should want to do what you’ve suggested.
• Ask yourself:
– Is the purpose of the message in my opening
line?
– Do I ask my reader for a specific action?
– Does my reader understand my time
limitations?
E-mail: Punctuation and Spelling
• Use proper punctuation and correct spelling
• Misplaced commas can cause
miscommunication
• Typos or run-on sentences could convey
that the sender sent the email in haste
Your recipient may wonder why he or she
should take time for a detailed response if
you as the sender did not take time
composing the message.
E-mail: Avoid Acronyms
Unless you are positive everyone reading your
message knows all of the acronyms, avoid
their use.
TO: Jim G.; Kris P.; Ernesto E.; Velma Q.; Susana R.; Enrico A.; Robin R.
RE: IMF needs a Q-RET before the ASC3 is filed with a PET
All: Received your IMF. Did you talk to the folks in Q-RET about first
getting a DERT? The new REM in PET will need you to fill out an ASC3
if you are going to pursue TXMX certification. Thx.
E-mail: Avoid Being Curt
Be concise—but not clipped.
One boss lost her star employee based on a two-word email she sent to him following a major presentation that
stated simply:
Good job
The employee felt it was a sarcastic jab, and he started
sending out resumes. The issue was cleared up in an exit
interview. His boss said later that she lost a lot of money
by omitting one exclamation mark.
E-mail: Avoid Emotional Responses
Compose in Haste; Regret in Leisure
• Avoid immediately sending an e-mail
or responding to a discussion thread
while angry. E-mails are not the place
to express anger.
• Consider if you would read it out
loud to the person if he/she was
standing in front of you.
• If an e-mail is questionable, save to
your draft folder and return to it later.
E-mail: Avoid Passive Aggressiveness
• Passive aggressiveness is easy to spot in
asynchronous communication.
• Your initial response to a classmate’s
writing or a work colleague’s e-mail might
be sarcastic, but jokes and tone are often
misunderstood in an asynchronous
environment.
E-mail: Avoid Passive Aggressiveness
Passive Aggressive
Our deadline is tomorrow and someone
needs to edit and post our work to
Blackboard. I know I sent out an email
about this last week, but, apparently, it
seems it might not have been read?
Direct
Our deadline is tomorrow, and Jane, I
know you volunteered to edit and post
our work to Blackboard. Will you still be
able to meet this deadline?
E-mail: Patience Is a Virtue
E-mail is a form of mail.
• We do not assume an immediate response
when we put a letter in the mail, but we get
impatient while waiting for a response to an
e-mail.
But…
• Responding to a discussion, contributing to a
team assignment, providing peer commentary
or review, communicating with your faculty or
capstone chair, and many other forms of
academic and professional communication
requires attention to deadlines.
• In addition, such communication requires
attention to word choice, grammar, and
etiquette, so set aside time for proofreading
your e-mails before sending.
E-mail: Caps Lock
• Using all caps looks like yelling.
• Don’t do it.
– EVEN IF YOU FEEL LIKE YELLING
(actually, especially if you feel like yelling).
– Remember that this is communication
between you and another person (not a
computer).
Caps Lock: Non-Walden Example
AS OF THIS POINT I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM
ANYONE. THE DIRECTORS WERE BUSY MISSING THE
FORECAST BY 200 HOURS YESTERDAY SO THEY DID NOT HAVE
TIME TO RESPOND. BEFORE I SEND THE DAILY REPORT I AM
GOING TO GIVE YOU 4 HOURS TO REVIEW THE NUMBERS
YOURSELF.
I AM SPENDING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME ON THESE
REPORTS AND I DO NOT INTEND FOR IT TO BE WASTED
IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE SAID BUT I WILL SAY IT ANYWAY PROFITABILITY IS A FUNCTION OF YOUR JOB RESPONSIBILITY
Thanks.
Caps Lock: Walden Example
• To: [email protected]
I HAVE TRIED to schedule an appt. NO open times through
April!!!! WHY can't i sign up??????????? I need a TUTOR.
I need March 15, March 22, or March 29 or last resort, April
12. WHat is going on that I don't see any days for me to sign
up for an appt??????????????????????????????
E-mail: Answer and Anticipate
• As a recipient of these types of e-mails, try
to recognize patterns and answer
preemptively.
– Send an e-mail acknowledging the receipt
• No matter the delivery, respond to e-mails
using proper etiquette.
– Neutral tone (rather than aggressive or
emotional)
Discussion Post Etiquette
Discussion Posts
Similar rules apply to discussion posts:
• Be concise
• Use proper spelling and punctuation
• Avoid acronyms, curt and passive aggressive
phrasing, and caps lock
Treat your discussion post like a mini
paper.
Posts: Academic Voice
• Write smoothly
– Use transitions
– Avoid abrupt shifts in topic
– Vary sentence structure
• Write concisely
– Simplify
• Write objectively
– Avoid bias and maintain a neutral tone
Posts: Academic Voice
• Just as in course papers, avoid contractions
and colloquialisms
don’t
do not
“write up”
“write”
• Do not include feeling words (e.g., feel,
believe)
• Practice being a scholar
Posts: Evidence
• Use information from your sources to
enhance your posts and responses
– Course readings and videos
– Journal articles
– Trusted websites
• Ask yourself if using personal experience is
appropriate for the prompt
Posts: Organization
Just as in e-mail:
• Beginning
• Middle
• End
Introduction
Main points and support
Conclusion
Posts: Responses
Just as in e-mail:
• Personalize and thank.
• Even if you disagree, do not become
emotional or judgmental.
RE: Discussion Post #1
RE: Discussion Post #1
I think you are just plain wrong. That
theoretical approach would go horribly
in emergency room nursing.
Jody,
You bring up some good points.
However, have you thought about the
theory’s applicability to emergency room
nursing? The theory of caring might be
more beneficial due to the patients’
stress level.
--Bob
Best Practice Suggestions
Elementary Principles of e-composition:
• In e-mail messages, keep paragraphs short.
• Make the paragraph the unit of composition
(the paragraph is the house for one idea to live
in).
• Use the active voice.
• Omit unnecessary words.
• Put statements in positive form.
• Use definite, specific, concrete language.
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Thanks for joining me this evening!
• Use the Question box to ask for clarification
• Future questions:
– [email protected] (tutors)
– [email protected] (editors)