One chooses when to respond to any message. The instructor may send out a message to all recipients via e-mail to emphasize some point made in class, on the home page or in the newsgroup. The possibilities are endless for creative interaction. For instance, the teacher could send out an optional questionnaire to all students in an effort to get to know them as individuals and to establish a more personal tone to the class. E-mail can connect instructor and student more intimately than ever before.
Interaction is fully two-way.
On one hand, a student can contact the instructor for individual counseling. For instance, he might ask for further clarification of some class policy or some point left unclear in lectures and discussions. On the other hand, an instructor can contact a student directly and confidentially about personal matters or learning problems. For example, the teacher might ask about an unusual number of absences or answer a query about the student's current performance in class. And of course, e-mail allows private responses to a general discussion on the newsgroup.