Student Experience of University Email Communication

Abstract

Since email access has become almost universal, Universities have increasingly used email as a key communication channel. This project investigated the number and origin of email communications to students on three Open University first year undergraduate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) modules. The modules were: Topics in Science (S142), Introducing Health Sciences (SDK125) and Environment: Journeys through a changing World (U116). S142 and SDK125 are 30 credit modules amounting to about 8 hours study a week and U116 is 60 credits amounting to around 16 hours study per week and all three modules are run over 31 weeks. The number of students who started studying the modules in February 2015 was; S142 838, SDK125, 824 and U116, 494 which ran from February to October presentation in 2015.Quantitative analysis of the number and type of emails sent to students on these modules revealed an average and maximum number of email communications per student on each module was S142: average 38, maximum 59, SDK125: average 67, maximum 82, U116: average 45, maximum 83. These figures are for students studying a single module over 31 weeks.Qualitative analysis from interviews undertaken with 40 students from each module determined how they felt about the number and type of communications they were receiving. The outcome of this analysis revealed that students appreciated email as the main form of communication from the university, although they underestimated quite significantly the number of emails they had received.Keywords: Student experience, email communications, STEM, distance learners. PROJECT RATIONALEThe increasing penetration of the Internet across the World over the last few years and increased use of the internet has allowed growth of online courses and subsequent increased use of email as a form of communication with students. In 2011-12 116,535 international students were enrolled in some form of distance, flexible or distributed learning with a UK institution of higher education [1]. Consequently institutions have needed to adapt their communication and student support to build relationships with these remote students.The aim of this project was to investigate the perception in the Open University (OU) that students may be receiving too many email communications from the university, which could potentially lead to the students feeling overwhelmed and confused. The Open University supports over 170,000 distance learning students each year across a range of over 450 undergraduate, postgraduate and professional modules. Teaching is delivered through module materials delivered both online and in hard copy and academic support is provided by tutors and faculty staff at a distance using electronic and telephone communications.The literature is inconclusive regarding optimal levels of contact to manage email based remote relationships. In a commercial context, Kim et al [2] report that customers usually want less frequent Customer Relationship Management (CRM) contact than marketers think...