In this document:

E-mail

Newsgroups

World Wide Web

CFS
 
 

 

Electronic Communication Options

As of September 2003, this file is no longer being maintained at this address. Please update your link to the following:
http://www.indiana.edu/~tltl/ecopts/index.html
For more information about Electronic Communication options, or using technology to supplement classroom instruction at Indiana University, Bloomington, contact the Teaching and Learning Technologies Centers (tltc@indiana.edu, 855-7829, Ballantine Hall 307 or Main Library West 305).

For a fairly comprehensive review of instructional techniques using electronic communication tools, see The Online Report on Pedagogical Techniques for Computer-Mediated Communictaion. For general tips on implementing electronic conferencing in your course, see the document entitled Effectively Using Electronic Conferencing.

Questions:

What can I do to
  • Maintain contact with my students?
  • Encourage students to communicate with each other outside of class?
  • Electronically post and distribute course information, lecture notes, assignments, grades, etc.?
  • Distribute and/or collect word processing, data, and other computer files to/from my students?

Answers:

At IUB, there are several options for course communication, information posting, collaborative discussion, group work, and file sharing. This document outlines these options and provides a start for matching your course needs with the appropriate supporting technology. Currently, options include:

E-mail

Many instructors have found e-mail to be a "low investment/high return" strategy for enhancing and maintaining one-to-one contact with students as well as for encouraging student disucssion and collaboration. With the IU WebMail system, electronic files may be attached to messages easily, making e-mail a convenient way to share files. The only requirements are e-mail accounts for instructor and students.

Personal Distribution List

In addition to using e-mail for one-to-one correspondence, it is possible for an instructor to set up a personal distribution list for occasional posting of messages to all students. It is possible to get an electronic roster from the Registrar that includes students' usernames; this file must be edited and prepared as a distribution list for particular e-mail programs.

LISTSERV and Majordomo (Public Distribution Lists)

Note: Majordomo is scheduled for retirement in Spring 2004. Instructors are encouraged to begin using LISTSERV instead.

It is possible to set up a public e-mail distribution list that can be used by the instructor and students to send messages to the entire class. The list is stored centrally and is treated like a regular e-mail address. For example, sending a mail message to smith_e202@indiana.edu will send a copy of the message to everyone on the list. This option provides an easy way for students to contribute electronic messages to the entire class. As with private distribution lists, the instructor must have a list of the students' usernames; in addition, the instructor needs to administer the list by sending instructions to the LISTSERV or Majordomo administrative addresses.

For both private and public distribution lists, the major advantage is that many students already know how to use e-mail and check it frequently, making this a convenient means of communication. The major drawback to using e-mail is that it can be difficult to keep track of large numbers of e-mail messages, though the archiving features of LISTSERV can help. Also, instructors may request class-specific e-mail accounts, which can help with e-mail management.

For more information:

Newsgroups

One alternative to e-mail is the use of local (Indiana-only) newsgroups. Instructors and students need access to newsreader software. An instructor or student can post messages and replies in the newsgroup to share questions, answers, ideas, and assignments. As an added benefit, the same software allows access to world-wide Usenet newsgroups that might relate to course topics and issues. Links to newsgroups can be placed in WWW course homepages. A potential drawback to using a newsgroup is that the instructor has very little control over its structure. For example, if a student accidentally posts a personal message, there is no easy way to delete it. (A newsgroup can be moderated, but the moderator will receive each posting as a mail message and then must individually post each message to the group). Newsgroups are generally open to anyone, which might be a concern for those who deal with sensitive or private information or for those who want to restrict access to class members.

If your WWW browser supports a newsreader, you can see a sample newsgroup (ucs.test) by selecting the following link:

To apply for a local newsgroup, send e-mail to news-admin@indiana.edu and include the following information:
  • instructor's name, e-mail, and phone number
  • department, course and section number
  • a brief description of the newsgroup's instructional purpose

World Wide Web (WWW)

Instructors may make course materials available via IUB World Wide Web servers and may make use of WWW-based communication packages to engage students in discussion and faciliate collaboration. In addition, IU Bloomington Evaluation Services and Testing (BEST) offers grade posting (Post'Em) and quizzing (QuizSite) via the WWW. Instructors may also use Oncourse, a WWW-based online course management application which includes course e-mail, simple discussion forum, chat room, file-sharing, gradebook, and quizzing capabilities.

Instructors and students need access to WWW browser software (such as Netscape or Internet Explorer). Instructors who wish to create WWW resources for students need to be familiar with basic HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and file transfer procedures, although specialized editors and packages greatly reduce the learning curve. The Teaching and Learning Technologies Centers have developed several templates for instructional web sites that can be easily modified to speed up development. The Oncourse application requires little preparation time, but the instructor is limited to the layout and structure provided.

Instructors who have accounts on the central IUB web server may set up web bulletin boards using WebBBS. WebBBS is similar to newsgroups, but offers some added features, such as the ability to delete messages. By default, access to WebBBS is open to anyone, though it is possible to restrict access to different groups or a class roster. A potential drawback to WebBBS is that students can "spoof" entries, (i.e., not use their real names).

SiteScape Forum (formerly AltaVista Forum) offers bulletin board and conferencing features similar to newsgroups or WebBBS, but with several enhancements, such as the potential for "private" and "team" forums and chat areas, and the ability to attach files. Instructors have more control over the structure of SiteScape Forum compared to newsgroups or WebBBS. Generally, instructors and students need SiteScape accounts to participate, though it is possible to set up open-access or guest accounts. Note: SiteScape Forum is scheduled for retirement in Summer 2004.

Examples of how instructors at IUB are using the WWW:

More information on WebBBS, SiteScape Forum, and Oncourse: Help creating your own course web resources:

CFS

CFS is computer file storage space at IUB that can be accessed from from any networked Windows, Mac OS, or Unix workstation on or off campus (including those dialing in via the IUB modem pool). 

For more information:

Last updated: 14 August 2003
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~ecopts/ecopts.html
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