Explaining the concept of graphic organizers in e-mail communication
A misconception I’ve encountered among communications students is the use of graphics and bullet points in e-mails to organize content. Some students have expressed they think it’s unprofessional, and an inaccessible method to communicate key messages to a receiver.
Potential analogy to teach the importance of this concept: Organizing content in an e-mail is an important component of written communication, so I would liken this concept to building blocks of a house. When building a house, the person constructing it must have the proper tools and resources, and have them organized in an orderly fashion so they’ll succeed in creating the final product. E-mail communication follows a similar concept, because the writer must analyze the situation (obtain the bricks and other objects needed to build the house), write the key messages in a draft, and then organize them into bullet points using the graphic tools available (separating the bricks and objects so they’re aligned properly, and used when they need to be).
In my lessons, I would follow the guidance provided by the University of South Carolina at Chapel Hill, which published an in-depth article on how to effectively teach e-mail communication. They propose that communications professors follow a multiple-step process, in which students learn to write subject lines, greetings and salutations, and forward thinking offers to the recipients to maintain a positive relationship. In my materials, including slide decks and handouts (hard and soft copies) I would include the building block analogy, and encourage students to organize their e-mail communication using that method.
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Effective Email Communication
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