Sometimes it is best to ask students to SEEK answers from other resources rather than use you as a convenient crutch. Get students to communicate with each other as much or more than they communicate with you. Develop a plan for what you will save and what you will delete. A typical semester long course can generate hundreds of e-mail messages. Remember, e-mail is writing.
Writing is the one universal skill that is valuable in every career and vocation.
Don't forget, using e-mail to communicate means students must put their thoughts into precise, textual terms. While e-mail may not be an important form of polished writing, it does help develop the ability to put thoughts into words. Encourage good netiquette and a minimal degree of formality appropriate to the writing needs of your students. The key is students don't often think of e-mail as a writing assignment per se. Threaded discussions require careful seeding and nurturing Unlike regular e-mail, threaded discussions do not grow and thrive on their own.