This is a really interesting discussion and while I think Lynne is right that some of the issues arise because learning support is not integrated into subject pedagogy I am not sure this is the whole explanation.  I am a subject teacher, and I also teach a writing in the discipline module for another subject discipline and a proportion - albeit small - of my students from this module have spent all week behaving in similar ways.  I think there is something quite hard to learn about pace and time in preparing assignments and I wonder, as I sit here juggling my own up to the deadline writing for the week, how much of this comes from the examples they see within the culture of the institution? Rebecca, University of Leeds 
________________________________

From: learning development in higher education network on behalf of Lynne Rutter
Sent: Wed 10/01/2007 08:32
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Guiding students to use an email service - suggestions please!


Hi John and all - I fully sympathise! I think this is really part of a much deeper issue regarding the way centralised support services are viewed because the learning support itself is not being offered within and as a fully integrated part of pedagogical approaches by the lecturers and tutors themselves. My personal view from having worked in a centralised service is that it can only really be percieved as something 'added' - a bolt-on, fix-it, remedial solution. If the service is perceived in this way then it will be communicated with in this way - hence these types of e-mails. It doesn't seem to matter how hard you try and get students ( and staff!) to approach and view it differently - because of where it is and what it does (or rather what it can't do), so it cannot be perceived of differently, and as we know, it's all down to the what the students 'do' and not what we do, in the end. I am not in any way denigrating centralised learning services, just giving my view on the limitations of this approach to learning support. 
 
To offer a more pragmatic answer - I would have an e-mail reply set up saying - "yes, love to help - send us a section of 400 words you think need most advice and why, and fill in this simple proforma with the details we'll need to get a handle on this (title etc). I'm also sending you our guidelines so you can get best use of us."   This is what I have done in the past. It might be simplistic but it tended to at least sort out those who are willing to put some effort in as wel!.
 
Happy New Year too and best of luck! 
all the best, Lynne
 
 
 
 
 

	-----Original Message-----
	From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Hilsdon
	Sent: 09 January 2007 21:23
	To: [log in to unmask]
	Subject: Guiding students to use an email service - suggestions please!
	
	

	Hi all - and Happy New Year!

	 

	As students return and our email services begin to crank up again, I wonder how many of you find yourselves 'tutting' and wincing as you receive the Nth message from a student which goes something like:

	 

	"hi i need to get this essay sort . any help would be good"

	 

	This is a 'real one' and is the sum total of the message text. There is an attachment - an extract from an assignment, but (sigh ... have I been in this job too long?) no title and no other material or specification to give clues about course, module, level, hand-in date etc.

	 

	Our online guide to using the email service has an introduction with some specific guidance; this is reproduced below. Although I know we'll never achieve 'perfection' in this (and I'm not really becoming a grumpy old man, honest!), I wonder what you folks think we could do differently to ensure that greater numbers of our students actually follow this approach when contacting us. I wonder what possible alternative systems, or technical fixes might be in use out there. Any thoughts appreciated! And please share your replies with the whole list.  

	 

	All the best 

	 

	John

	 


	Learning Development Support via Email


	In addition to tutorials <https://exchange.plymouth.ac.uk/intranet/learndev/workshops.htm> , support for your learning is also available by email, but please read the guidelines below before writing to us.

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