| thoughts from a cunning linguist | |
E-mail's a funny thing. People write things in e-mail that they would never say to a person's face. I notice this especially in my e-mails from students. Right now I'm a teaching assistant in the Writing Program here at my school. This means that I teach two sections of expository writing--22 students in each class. I graded and returned the first set of essays last week. The next essay is due next week. In the last two days, I've received a number of desperate e-mails from students who want help with the next essay.
Nevermind that they did not show up for my office hours or ask any questions about the upcoming essay in class. Nevermind that I make it very clear on the outline that I respond to student e-mails only on class days. Nevermind that there is a Writing Centre on campus whose services are free and for which I've encouraged these same students to enroll for extra help with their writing.
Now, to be clear: it's not that I mind helping students. Not in the least. However, I do mind, when I'm expected to clear my schedule and drop everything (a) to respond to an e-mail sent in the middle of the night and (b) to meet with them only when it's convenient for them and (c) when they take no responsibility for their own work. Granted, they are freshmen. They are still getting the hang of being in university. And of course, I'll provide what help I can.
But, why is it that these requests come in the form of e-mail?
I think the way freshmen use e-mail to talk to their profs says as much about e-mail as it does about freshmen. It's not just freshmen who use e-mail to communicate things from behind a screen. E-mail has the added feature of creating a time gap between the request/initial message and the reply to that request/message. It also allows people to be bolder than they might otherwise have been. I just can't figure out why, given the distancing effect of e-mail that people expect such immediate responses!
Argh.
Posted by Bush Whacker at September 25, 2003 11:20 AMInteresting comment and something I experienced, too, with students ...and most of those I had weren't freshman! I think e-mail combines the best of several worlds for many people. It's as immediate as phoning (but like leaving a message on an answering machine). Some actually secretly prefer leaving a message than talking to the person directly, and e-mail is perfectly suited for that. Also, because e-mail messages are zapped immediately, the bar is set lower on everything from etiquette to attention to grammatical details; they are perceived as "quicky" rather than full-fledged letters. Therefore, since it's quick and convenient, many people don't think twice about dropping a note, whereas they wouldn't think of calling someone about their minor problem/request ...let alone write a "traditional" letter. I've had students (even after they were no longer my students) drop me a message asking for advice. Sometimes their questions are only a few degrees short of asking me what's the meaning of life! Since sending the message often requires little effort on their part, they figure, I think, that it can't require that much effort on the part of the receiver to respond to that message. Heaven forbid people should follow a course that requires effort -- in your case, signing up to the Writing Center or whatever! Also, when I compared notes with full-time faculty, I found that students with more prepared to push the envelope with a part-time instructor or TA. They might not fully comprehend that part-timers and TAs are at the bottom of academic totem poll, but they surely seem to perceive a difference. And finally, I think a correlation could be made between age and propensity to send a "demanding" e-mail message, whereby younger people, accustomed to having things "fixed" for them, are more likely to send a message with the attitude that they have nothing to lose ...except perhaps a few ounces of dignity, which many, unfortunately, don't perceive as being affronted for sending such messages. I know that, as a student, I would have sooner died than ask the kind of things some of my students have asked me, but then that could be because of my "fraud complex" and the resulting fear of being revealed as unworthy of occupying a seat in class. I saw myself as privileged for being there, not entitled to it...
Posted by: Maurice on September 25, 2003 12:40 PMI think the lack of face (or even voice) contact makes it easier. You don't have to stand there all embarrassed in front of the prof in order to ask. I don't have to look at you (and see you look at me) during the interaction.
Plus, I can send the email 24-hrs a day. During class, I rarely felt the pinch of a tough assignment. It was when I actually got into the assignment at 10pm the night before it was due that I realized I needed help. (Yes. I know.)
Posted by: kevin on October 4, 2003 05:57 AM