Using Email

Save yourself from drowning in online interaction

"My email is killing me! Do you know how often students send me email?" Rita-Marie Conrad of Florida State University, 2004

Updated: 15 October 2005
Reviewer's Note:
"To maintain one's sanity as an instructor in today's online environment, don't let interaction be an albatross dragging you to the bottom of the pool.

Three guaranteed ways to reduce email overload and the stress it causes

"E-mail is probably the most powerful communication tool you use. It can also be the most frustrating if you don't handle it properly. Every time you open your Inbox, you see more unfinished work, more demands on your time, and more missed deadlines and broken promises. There is a better way to manage this, and it involves organizing everything around you, changing your e-mail habits, and using the best e-mail software and learning how to really use it." Peggy Duncan, About.com

Added: 3 July 2004
Reviewer's Note:
"Believe it or not, you can actually breeze through e-mail. The key is to develop more efficient ways of handling it. Here are three ways to get it done"

Email as an Educational Feedback Tool: Relative Advantages and Implementation Guidelines

"Research into the pedagogical benefits of email is gaining momentum. The ubiquitous use of email for feedback in the classroom is lending the medium a new level of credence as an educational tool. Assuming that email will only continue to grow in popularity, it behoves one to develop some guiding principles for the implementation of this medium." Jason Huett, International Journal of Instructional Technology & Distance Learning, June 2004

Added: 23 June 2004
Reviewer's Note:
Conclusion: This article outlines some practical measures that can be taken to highlight the advantages of email while limiting the inherent drawbacks. Understanding the advantages of email can increase the likelihood of student achievement and satisfaction and promote learner retention. The successful use of email in the educational arena will be largely determined by how well it meets the identified needs of the learner.

Managing email: A practical guide for teachers

"Learn How To... Use Microsoft® Outlook® and Outlook Express to communicate with students and colleagues quickly and easily; Compose, send, save, and organize e-mail messages with the many easy-to-use features of Outlook; Use Outlook to facilitate collaboration with students and colleagues in and out of the classroom; Take advantage of electronic communication in education, including Web pages, discussion groups, virtual classrooms, and online conferencing"

Added: 15 February 2002
Reviewer's Note:

Managing email in and out of the classroom

"Learn how to: Organize messages with personal folders; Keep track of several different e-mail accounts from Microsoft® Outlook®; Easily send messages to a group of students, colleagues, or personal contacts using Bcc and distribution lists; Use mail-handling rules to automatically route incoming e-mail; Import a list of names into your address book"

Added: 29 December 2001
Reviewer's Note:
A Microsoft hands-on tutorial

Collaborating with others using Outlook and Exchange

"Learn how to: Improve communication and organization by using the features of Microsoft® Outlook; Use public folders to share information efficiently; Use e-mail effectively to communicate with colleagues and students; Use the Outlook Calendar to better organize your time"

Added: 29 December 2001
Reviewer's Note:
A Microsoft hands-on tutorial