Abstract: Electronic Mail has been used in Human and Economic Geography courses by the authors at their respective universities. This paper describes the successful but still experimental implementation of e-mail as an extension of the classroom and as the 'continuous office hours' at each of these institutions. Distribution lists and individual communications between faculty and students, and among students, were employed. The paper then presents and analyzes data collected from surveys of students using e-mail. Finally, the authors anticipate that electronic mail is merely a first step towards a much more extensive use of electronic communication in the educational process and suggest some lessons learned on the way.

CONTENTS:

• Abstract
• Introduction
• Variations and Change in the Use of E-Mail
• Why Use E-Mail?
• E-Mail vs. Other Media
• Effects of E-Mail on Communications
• Who Will Use E-Mail?
• Two Experiences
• Common Experiences
• The Effect of Messages
• Student Response to E-Mail in Classes
• E-Mail and Home Pages
• E-Mail with Home Pages
• E-Mail or Home Pages: Substitution?
• Conclusions

• Bibliography

• Table 1: E-Mail Survey Summary
  • Table 1(Netscape)
  • Table 1 (Lynx)

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  October 10, 1996; Edward J Delaney (edelaney@alf.uccs.edu) || Gunter Krumme (krumme@u.washington.edu)