Some students may tend to send the wrong type of question, as well as erroneous information through the class list server. The advantages of having an electronic mailing list and discussion site far outweigh the disadvantage associated with periodic junk mail that may be inadvertently forwarded by a student contributor. Santa Fe Community College uses Lyris list server as the mailing list provider for college discussion sites. Gray areas that reflect problems with comprehension quickly become evident to instructor and students. Many students like the idea of having daily mail to read and the constant correspondence between the instructor and students can form a vital bond of open communication, often necessary for active learning.
Students query the instructor and each other for tips, techniques and problem-solving strategies.
Students can potentially get an answer to a class-related query at any time of the day, even if the instructor is unavailable. Due to the varying degrees of preparation and background experiences with computer technologies, often students help each other by useful responses before the instructor has a chance to reply. The camaraderie that is built through the class mailing list helps to provoke thoughtful student commentary, as students realize their messages will be posted to the entire class. Electronic mailing lists, discussion groups and special interest groups are commonplace on the Internet. Educational institutions and industries routinely use mailing lists to make announcements and disseminate vital information in an online format.