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Post by chaosisapony on May 2, 2021 2:59:06 GMT
them?
My professor in one of my classes insists that in each of our group discussion posts we use people's names. For example if I write "Good point, I agree but also think...." instead of "John, good point, I agree but also think...." I would be be graded down for not using the student's name. In the feedback I have received for each assignment she addresses me by name. It's such an odd thing to me because I generally don't speak or write at all in that manner.
Usually if I were sending someone an email or Pm or whatever I would just say "Hey, how are you? Loved that thing you posted. Super funny" Not, "Hey Firstname, how are you? Loved that thing you posted. Super funny".
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Post by 950nancy on May 2, 2021 4:12:26 GMT
For a group discussion, I can see using people's names. For a one-on-one discussion, no.
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 2, 2021 4:21:23 GMT
Almost never. And I’m terrible with names in general so it takes me a LOOOONG time to even remember what someone’s name is unless I’m dealing with the person on a regular basis.
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Post by Eddie-n-Harley on May 2, 2021 4:24:58 GMT
Almost never. And I’m terrible with names in general so it takes me a LOOOONG time to even remember what someone’s name is unless I’m dealing with the person on a regular basis. Yeah, but if you're doing it online in a class forum, I presume that everyone's user name is their actual name, so you don't have to remember. I don't use people's names in regular conversation, either, but I could see it being a requirement online so the professor doesn't have any doubt to whom you are replying. |
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Post by leannec on May 2, 2021 4:47:20 GMT
I'm teaching online right now (grade 7) and when I comment on an assignment I always use the students name ... in person, I never do! That just seems weird  |
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Post by elaine on May 2, 2021 4:49:05 GMT
Having taught online college courses, I can tell you that people don’t always reply to the comment/thread they think they are replying to. Heck, it happens here not infrequently, when someone posts something that doesn’t quite make sense in the thread, and then they come back on and say “oops, I posted this in the wrong thread.”
I see the using the person’s name in your comment as a way to communicate clearly in an online environment and it also ensures that you are actually replying to the comment in the thread it looks like you are responding to.
For example, if everyone has to answer a discussion question - the same question for everyone - then there are 25 responses that are all on the same topic. Typically, the next requirement is that everyone has to comment on at least 2 classmates’ answers to the discussion question. It would be easy to misplace comments - using names ensures that this doesn’t happen and/or makes it easy to catch if you say “good point, John” under Susan’s answer.
eta: some professors see online college classes as being a place to practice professional communication. So, the casual nature of personal pm’s or emails shouldn’t be the comparison. How would you communicate with your boss at work via email?
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Post by elaine on May 2, 2021 4:50:22 GMT
I'm teaching online right now (grade 7) and when I comment on an assignment I always use the students name ... in person, I never do! That just seems weird  She is talking about an online classroom environment. 😀 |
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Post by ~summer~ on May 2, 2021 4:55:32 GMT
In group discussions I use first names often.
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Post by chaosisapony on May 2, 2021 5:09:19 GMT
The discussion forums are similar to here. You can make an original post which shows your name and avatar to the left. Then people can reply directly to you and it would show up as a post underneath yours, just like FB does. So there's no guess who you are replying to.
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Post by myshelly on May 2, 2021 5:34:27 GMT
The discussion forums are similar to here. You can make an original post which shows your name and avatar to the left. Then people can reply directly to you and it would show up as a post underneath yours, just like FB does. So there's no guess who you are replying to. When I hit reply on FB it automatically fills in the person’s name, so I don’t think including a name in a reply is weird. When a reply thread gets going it is not at all obvious whether you are replying to the original post or to the reply above yours unless you use names. It’s also similar to the quote feature here. You quote a person to show you are replying directly to them. I don’t think it makes any sense to compare an online environment to an in person environment. There are a lot of rules that are different for writing than for speaking. Frankly I think it’s really weird that you think the rule is weird. |
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Gennifer
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,036 
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Post by Gennifer on May 2, 2021 6:24:54 GMT
In a professional situation, I try to use their name at least once, just to reinforce the point that I know who they are.
In a social situation, it varies. A group of acquaintances? The same as above. My family or close friends? Not so much.
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Post by peasapie on May 2, 2021 13:45:38 GMT
Having taught online college courses, I can tell you that people don’t always reply to the comment/thread they think they are replying to. Heck, it happens here not infrequently, when someone posts something that doesn’t quite make sense in the thread, and then they come back on and say “oops, I posted this in the wrong thread.” I see the using the person’s name in your comment as a way to communicate clearly in an online environment and it also ensures that you are actually replying to the comment in the thread it looks like you are responding to. For example, if everyone has to answer a discussion question - the same question for everyone - then there are 25 responses that are all on the same topic. Typically, the next requirement is that everyone has to comment on at least 2 classmates’ answers to the discussion question. It would be easy to misplace comments - using names ensures that this doesn’t happen and/or makes it easy to catch if you say “good point, John” under Susan’s answer. eta: some professors see online college classes as being a place to practice professional communication. So, the casual nature of personal pm’s or emails shouldn’t be the comparison. How would you communicate with your boss at work via email? This is a good point. I'll bet that is why the professor makes that a requirement. |
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Post by cindyupnorth on May 2, 2021 14:11:56 GMT
My dh does this often. In personal one on one conversations. He uses your first name. often. It bugs the crap outta me. But whatever, it's his thing.
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Post by whipea on May 2, 2021 14:14:16 GMT
In an educational environment using names is an evidenced based teaching practice referred to as invitational learning. It is a way for the instructor to connect and show students they are aware and interested in what the individual student says and knows. It is also a tool for engagement. Acknowledging students by name shows the person they are interested in them as individuals rather than just another student in a class. It helps develop a sense of value and belonging to the group, thus greater engagement.
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Post by nlwilkins on May 2, 2021 14:38:04 GMT
I try to use a person's name every time I talk to them because I am slow to remember names. This reinforces their name in my mind. Also, I notice when people use my name when talking to me, it tends to keep me focused on what they are saying.
When a professor is requiring a student to use the name of the person they are responding to it removes all doubt as to who they are responding to. Generally, it also makes it easier to grade and sort how many responses a student has typed. Online college courses can have a hundred students in a class. Can you imagine trying to keep track of that many students and making sure they have done the work and followed the directions?
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Post by jeremysgirl on May 2, 2021 14:40:55 GMT
I use people's names a lot. Not just online but in real life too. I have never thought that my addressing someone by their name was weird or odd in any way.
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artbabe
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,148
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Post by artbabe on May 2, 2021 15:02:07 GMT
There is a person I work with that, when talking to me, she uses my name every couple sentences. It is weird and I think a little condescending and passive aggressive. She does it a lot when she disagrees with me or wants to passive aggressively put me down in some way- Well, Tracy.... Now Tracy.... But Tracy.... Ugh. I hate it.
I asked my good friend and coworker what she thought of it (all three of us eat lunch together). She knew exactly what I was talking about- she thought it was passive aggressive too.
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Post by quietgirl on May 2, 2021 15:37:59 GMT
I have a poor memory with names. When I am introduced to someone I repeat the name back to them. (Its very nice to meet you, John. John, where do you work? How bout those Phillies, John.) That type of thing. If I see them fairly soon after an introduction, embarrassingly, I do much the same. Once its in my memory, I lay off a bit, and maybe use it once (hey John, how are you?). I have found this to be one of my best strategies in trying to remember people's names. I'm extremely shy and awkward as it is, its horrible that I can never remember a name.
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Post by Monica* on May 2, 2021 15:56:22 GMT
The one time that comes to mind is when I am talking on the phone with a customer service rep. If I need help or want something or need their follow thru on something I will repeatedly use their name in the conversation, including at the end to thank them, for accountability purposes. I am hoping to get better results if they feel less anonymous.
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peabay
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,668
Jun 25, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
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Post by peabay on May 2, 2021 16:39:51 GMT
I use people's names a lot. Not just online but in real life too. I have never thought that my addressing someone by their name was weird or odd in any way. I'm the same. I don't know - I guess it's just a quirk of my personality. |
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Post by padresfan619 on May 2, 2021 18:10:29 GMT
I’ll be honest, it creeps me out when people use my name *a lot* in conversation. A handful of times or if we are in a group and someone needs to address me directly, no biggie, but every other sentence and they use my name? I feel like I’m being sold to by a used car salesman.
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Post by chaosisapony on May 2, 2021 18:59:57 GMT
In an educational environment using names is an evidenced based teaching practice referred to as invitational learning. It is a way for the instructor to connect and show students they are aware and interested in what the individual student says and knows. It is also a tool for engagement. Acknowledging students by name shows the person they are interested in them as individuals rather than just another student in a class. It helps develop a sense of value and belonging to the group, thus greater engagement. Interesting! That makes sense and helps me understand the responses she has given me in the online grade book. Every comment is "Tina, blah blah" or "blah blah, Tina, blah blah" It just struck me as being so odd when scrolling through the grades and seeing my name so much. Like dude, you know who you are grading, my name is right over there on the left. |
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Post by voltagain on May 2, 2021 20:11:36 GMT
I’ll be honest, it creeps me out when people use my name *a lot* in conversation. A handful of times or if we are in a group and someone needs to address me directly, no biggie, but every other sentence and they use my name? I feel like I’m being sold to by a used car salesman. This is me! To me, using my name when it is otherwise easy to determine who is being talked to in a conversation takes on a disciplinary vibe. My current supervisor is a huge on use names person. I feel like he hates me just because he uses my name so often even in one to one conversations. |
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Post by femalebusiness on May 2, 2021 22:22:56 GMT
I’ll be honest, it creeps me out when people use my name *a lot* in conversation. A handful of times or if we are in a group and someone needs to address me directly, no biggie, but every other sentence and they use my name? I feel like I’m being sold to by a used car salesman. Exactly! |
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Post by lesserknownpea on May 3, 2021 6:42:55 GMT
Very interesting discussion. I agree that there are benefits to using a name when you address someone. To get their attention. In a greeting. When you’ve switched from addressing one person to another. Sometimes I use a persons name when I want to underscore whatever I’m about to say next.
But overuse of name comes off as mentioned above: scolding, or selling. Or creepy.
Although sometimes a person from another country will use my name more frequently and I just figure it’s a cultural thing
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Post by lesserknownpea on May 3, 2021 6:43:22 GMT
Very interesting discussion. I agree that there are benefits to using a name when you address someone. To get their attention. In a greeting. When you’ve switched from addressing one person to another. Sometimes I use a persons name when I want to underscore whatever I’m about to say next.
But overuse of name comes off as mentioned above: scolding, or selling. Or creepy.
Although sometimes a person from another country will use my name more frequently and I just figure it’s a cultural thing
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Post by gramasue on May 3, 2021 12:00:42 GMT
If I'm having trouble remembering someone's name and then it comes to me, I try to use it a couple of times, just to help reinforce my memory. But I agree that overuse of someone's given name can seem a little passive-aggressive. I always feel like they'd rather just knock on my forehead to get their point across.
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