How To NOT Get Help Effectively Via E-mail
Here is a prototypical e-mail message from a student:
From : sexyTwinky888@hotmail.com
Date : <the day the assignment is due>
Subject: Help!
I need help on the assignment, part of my program isn't working. I get
an error message. The assignment instruction aren't clear either.
Problems with this message:
- The subject line gives me no idea of the nature
of the problem.
- I have no idea which of my classes this student
is referring to.
- I have no idea which student is asking since
they are using an external e-mail account.
- I don't know which of possibly several assignments
the student is asking about.
- Even if I knew which assignment, I don't know which
problem.
- I don't know what error message he or she is
getting.
- I don't know what the student has tried to fix
the problem.
- I don't know what part of the instructions are
possibly vague.
- etc....
I want to help, but in order to do so, I need to have sufficient
information.
Here
is a better way to ask for help via e-mail.
-- EB
Ansaria@franklin.edu