Updates, learning curves, rules and regulations: the trials and tribulations of e-learning

Picture from eduwire.
Students of all ages, from pre-school through post-doc, find themselves faced with electronic editions of textbooks and courses--most of them interesting, but often far from manageable or navigable in short order. In the fragmented personal communication market, users must take responsibility for the communication preferences of the recipients of messages and information. I HAVE to know that my brother prefers to receive texts. My sister doesn't text at all. My international friends like Skype, or maybe no--perhaps WhatsApp. Some business partners want me to leave voice mail on a mobile number. Others never listen to voice mail at all. Similarly, the e-text/e-course market offers a breadth of tools designed to "improve" learning--not caring too much whether every user must interact with 3-5 DIFFERENT types of tools, depending upon their instructor, the course, the publishing company, the institution's capacities and so forth! What is your experience with e-learning since you started school? What works? What do you dislike? Here's ONE of many articles published online about e-learning.

Communication between professors and students

Samaris S. posted a blog with a link to a video produced by the University of Toronto Scarborough's Career Center. It's worth a look!

Grammar Support

The word "grammar" in and of itself manages to elicit reactions that I seldom understand. Somehow, years of the wrong kind of drilling and rote learning (or maybe lack of rote learning) has perhaps catalyzed the distaste that many writers have for even wanting to understand the basic framework of language. I believe that with very little study, ANYONE can grasp the basics and improve his or her writing, editing, and overall communication skills. During the interim between fearful reluctance to learn grammar and actually facing up to your fears, you can find a few tools online (rather than relying entirely on Microsoft Word) to support your editing, pedagogically! Check out Grammarly.

Overused, useful, or cliché?

Business communication textbooks warn writers against using worn-out expressions that may ultimately prove less effective than using something simpler. Although I am not vehemently opposed to saying, "Don't hesitate to call me if you have any questions," some professional writers abhor the expression. What's most important is that a writer revise and clarify his or her text until the writing actually says, as closely as possible, what it is intended to mean. It is impossible, however, to choose the right words if one is unable to anticipate the reader's response. Knowing your audience, knowing the right vehicle for communication, and knowing the conventions (professional and cultural) for the delivery of a message, will provide a foundation to guide word choice. A fellow named Gary Blake has written a blog article on Biznik that illustrates what he feels are "deadly words" to use in business communication. Enjoy!