Is Email Too Formal for Student Communication?
Email has become the de facto method of communication between my students and me. This semester, I sent out an email to all students in my class at least once a week. Often times, it was just a way for me to help them stay organized. Students also seem to feel reasonably open sending emails to me. Yet over the course of the semester, I have probably only received email from 25% of my students. What about the rest? Some, no doubt, had no need to communicate with me over email. But it seems probable that others did not feel comfortable sending me an email. The question is has email become too formal a communication tool in the eyes of some students?
It’s likely that a fair number of students have never known email as a novelty or a new, exciting technology. Whereas I remember the thrill of signing up for my first Hotmail account, these students were born as late as 1991. By the the time they were aware of computers and computer-mediated-communication, it was already widespread. Because email has never been a new technology to them, they had less chance to determine how they could use it best. It was likely a tool of their parents and teachers, with set norms and expectations.
Does this cause reluctance to use email as an everyday communication tool? Recent Pew Research data shows some support for this. “Fully 74% of internet users age 64 and older send and receive email, making email the most popular online activity for this age group. At the same time, email has lost some ground among teens; whereas 89% of teens claimed to use email in 2004, just 73% currently say they use email.” If teens are less likely to use email, then are my efforts to reach out to students (to be available when they have questions) outdated? Could I be using the wrong technologies for their age group?
If email is less popular among teens, no matter the reason, then what can I do to replace it? When email is a frequent destination, sending an email makes a lot of sense. I expect my students to check their email several times per day, at least! Indeed, with the proliferation of Blackberries and other smart phones, it sometimes seems like email is instantaneous communication. But if this isn’t the case, then an alternative or an additional method should be found. The possible replacements for email would include a destination where students visit regularly, that is easy to update, and that allows for quick information on a need-to-know basis. Texting is too limited, same with Twitter. In-class announcements are helpful to those who come to class, but aren’t preserved for later searching. And web portals like Learn@UW aren’t visited often enough by students.
Though I’ve yet to arrive at the perfect solution, one very real possibility is Facebook. I could create a fan page for the course I’m teaching and use that as a way to disseminate information. Students could become fans of the class, or simply visit, as the information can be made viewable to all. It allows for a wide variety of communication and can be searched. I’m not sure if university policy would frown upon using Facebook, a commercial service. But in terms of meeting my requirements, I can’t think of anything better.
So, let me turn over the discussion to you readers. Undergraduates - how to you feel about email? Do you use it to communicate with your friends, or is it just something you use for school? How would you prefer to get information about a class? Instructors - have you noticed issues with email? How are your evaluations in terms of being available to students? Have you tried anything innovative to reach out to more students? I’d really like to get your feedback on this issue!
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December 17th, 2009 at 3:22 am
As a student, I value the emails sent out by professors and TAs. I feel like email is definitely still the best way to get information out in a mass way, especially in the context you’re using it for. Email is without a doubt no longer the norm for “social communication” online. That’s what Facebook is used for now! However, most students still benefit from receiving email updates from TAs. With the proliferation of blackberries and smartphones, the instantaneous communication is almost a better way to receive the weekly reminders you send out, as students are instantly reminded of due dates, office hours, etc. The 75% of students who aren’t emailing you probably feel they get the information and updates they need from your weekly emails. Case in point, email is not dead yet!
December 17th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Thanks Jenna. I’m glad to hear that email is still the best way to communicate. I suppose that, even for students less familiar with email, learning to use email in college is a valuable and important lesson for whatever comes next (work, more school, or NASCAR career).
December 18th, 2009 at 7:34 pm
So I’ve been thinking about this a lot and I have come to the conclusion that e-mail is still the best way to communicate to your students. At least for now. When I think about the Pew Research data that teens are checking their e-mail less and less, I can’t help but assume this isn’t talking about college students. Almost all of the college students that I know check their e-mail obsessively, as it is their main communication with the academic world, information for student orgs, study abroad information, and all sorts of newsletters. I’m not surprised that a lot of students fail to respond, but I don’t think that means they aren’t reading your e-mails or appreciating your updates. I do still use e-mail for communicating with friends and family, it has a different tone than facebook or twitter.
I think your use of “e-office hours” was brilliant and really effective. I don’t know how many people took you up on it, but it was a really great way to get your opinion on things while studying or in the library. So all in all, don’t be disheartened by students not e-mailing a bunch, they just don’t reply a lot. But I think it is still a great way to effectively communicate updates and class information.
December 19th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Thanks for the comment, Lauren. Though eOffice Hours were less effective than I had hoped, it sounds like they were still really useful for the people who did take advantage. I’ll definitely try them again next semester and stick with email as well.