SPC1017

The Self and Perception Discussion

What is the difference between sympathy and empathy? Why does the use of empathy make someone a more effective communicator?

200 words

WRITING RULES

• Don't write in all capital letters. IT IS CONSIDERED A FORM OF SHOUTING. Also, avoid all lowercase letters. The pronoun "I" should always be capitalized.
• Use proper grammar and spelling. Online courses require the same high standards of college-level writing as face-to-face courses.
• Keep it short. Make the message thorough, concise, and to the point. Messages are very much like telephone conversations – the clearer the communication and the shorter, the better.
• Avoid abbreviations. The age of instant messaging (IM) has created a need for some use of abbreviations to save keystrokes. However, an online course is not an IM conversation with friends.
• Avoid quoting in your replies. Students often reply to an e-mail by including a complete copy of the original with a short comment like "I agree" or "Okay" at the bottom. The correct way to use quotes is to include just enough material in the quote to make your comment relevant to the reader.
• Respect threads. Your instructor creates Discussion Topics and provides directions. You may post a reply to the topic or reply to a posting. When replying to a posting, the right thing to do is to "reply" to that message. The wrong thing to do is to start a new message.  Starting a new message, in this instance, breaks the link (called a "thread") between the original message and your response. Without that link, it will be difficult for the others in the course to follow the sequence of messages.