A Webpage can display contact information for the instructor. The contact information may include office location, hours and phone number, as well as the email address of the instructor. A link to an email address will allow the student to send an electronic message to the instructor through a Web form. A step beyond the simple conveying of contact information is a link to a newsgroup. A course may utilize a specially created newsgroup or listserv as a means of conveying information, such as announcements, course assignments, and the syllabus.
Instructors can post information and also respond to questions via a newsgroup.
An electronic discussion group can also serve as a forum for discussion of various issues, some instructor mediated, some carried on among class members, or subgroups of students. The World Wide Web is becoming increasingly useful as a medium for newsgroups. Not only can users read archived postings, they can also post messages and respond to postings via a Web browser. The latest version of Netscape displays images cited in a posting. The communication function of the Web has implications for user education workshops.