Using E-mail Consultations in a Large Class

Abstract

This study investigated how technology can be used to help teachers manage a large class while at the same time retaining a high quality of instruction. This research looked at giving online consultations to four groups of roughly 30 students, with one teacher responsible for about 60 students. Students were assigned to use e-mail to share and discuss problems in a task-based curriculum. The findings revealed that students posted an average of 1.65 messages which is considered too low to gain benefits in their learning. Two problems encountered were practical problems, such as limited time, unfamiliarity with the use of technology, and technical problems, and activity-specific problems when the subjects did not have a clear idea of what was expected of them.