This document discusses using email and voicemail as tools for distance education. It defines email as a method for exchanging digital messages between users and outlines its key features like checking spelling and grouping messages. Voicemail is defined as a system for managing phone messages in mailboxes associated with user numbers. The advantages of both tools for distance learning are their abilities to facilitate asynchronous communication between students and teachers and disseminate course information. Some limitations include information overload with email and voicemail message length restrictions. Guidelines are provided for effective use of each tool.

1. E-mail and
Voicemail as
Distance
education tool
Done by:
Aida AlSalmi
Amna AlAbri

2. Objectives:
1- Facilitate communication between student and teacher – student to
students.(At any time ).
2- It can be use as the primarily means of disseminating information in
distance learning course.
Email:
Definition:
Electronic mail, often abbreviated as email, e.mail or e-mail, is a
method of exchanging digital messages, designed primarily for human
use. E-mail systems are based on a store-and-forward model in which e-
mail computer server systems accept, forward, deliver and store
messages on behalf of users, who only need to connect to the e-mail
infrastructure, typically an e-mail server, with a network-enabled device
(e.g., a personal computer) for the duration of message submission or
retrieval. Originally, e-mail was always transmitted directly from one user's
device to another's; nowadays this is rarely the case.
Features of email:
 Check your spelling.
 Use a variety of fonts, colors, and sizes in your e-mail messages.
 Group your e-mail messages in a variety of ways.
 Be reminded of upcoming events.
 Viewing your calendar one week at a time.
Changing the color scheme.
Advantages of Email:
 Email Is A Push Technology
 Email Waits For You
 Email Is One-To-Many

3.  Email Is Almost Free.
Limitation of E-mail:
 Information overload.
 Spamming and computer viruses.
 E-mail spoofing.
 E-mail bombing.
 Privacy concerns.
 Tracking of sent mail.
How use email to deliver and support learning?
 Email education will allow you to get the information you need without
disrupting your day. In the span of a few short days, you'll find yourself
absorbing - and understanding - the issues. Some of the courses will
challenge you with a question each day. Others will break down
complicated issues into bite-sized chunks that you can digest in just a few
minutes.
Concerns about Email:
• Using email to enable e3 (effective, efficient, and engaging) learning
Author: ChanMin Kim a
a
Affiliation: Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
• Abstract:This article argues that email that supports both noncognitive and
cognitive aspects can make learning more effective, efficient, and
engaging (e3-learning).
• In addition, in order to optimize the use of email for the support of e3-
learning, this article proposes a conceptual framework grounded in
research that can guide the systematic design and development process
in terms of (a) diagnosing learners' needs, (b) constructing appropriate
email, and (c) renewing email.

4. case studies/examples of email
(www.webmail.com)

5. Voice mail:
 Definition:
Voicemail (or voice mail, voice-mail, vmail or VMS, sometimes called
message bank) is a centralized system of managing telephone messages for
a large group of people. The term is also used more broadly, to denote any
system of conveying voice message, including the answering machine.
Features of Voicemail
 answer many phones at the same time.
 store incoming voice messages in personalized mailboxes. associated
with the user’s phone number .
 enable users to forward received messages to another voice mailbox .
 send messages to one or more other user voice mailboxes .
 add a voice introduction to a forwarded message.
 store voice messages for future delivery .
 phone number for personal assistance.
 Compatible with all e-mail programs
 Multi-Language Support
 Send, forward, and reply to messages.
 Send messages to a distribution list.
 Turn your phone number into a bulletin board or information center.
 Store messages in an archive.
Advantages of Voicemail:
 Save for Future Use: If your messages are important, you can choose to
save them in your voice mail system. That way, you can go back and
listen at a later date.

6.  Option of Detailed Messages: As opposed to leaving a message with a
secretary, people can leave detailed messages on voice mail answering
machines. Then you know you're getting the correct information.
 No Lost Messages: Since voice mail messages are stored with the phone
company, there is a smaller chance that a message could get lost. This is
especially important for businesses that want to ensure dependability.
 Password Protection: Unlike classic answering machines, voice mail has
password protection so you can prevent others from hearing your
messages.
 Enlarged Message Size: Most voice mail systems have a 5-minute
message size limit. You won't have to worry about getting cut off by the
machine again.
 Voice mail allows the personal touch of voice communication (lets
learners develop a better sense of the people behind the course).
 Learners can communicate with each other at anytime, from any place
with available telephones.
 Voice mail can pickup at any time.
 Voice mail can pickup at any time.
Limitation of Voicemail:
• Function: Voicemail: is made to store a message that another person
leaves for you. The system should notify you when you have a message.
• Password: Many people forget their voicemail password, which causes
them to get locked out.
• Alerts: Your phone should alert you when you have a voicemail.
• Receiving: Not receiving voicemail at all can cause you to miss out on
very important messages
• Warning: There is a difference between not knowing how to set up or
retrieve voicemail, and there being an actual malfunction with it. The
length of the message may be limited to 3 or fewer minutes.
How use voicemail to deliver and support learning?
When you leave a message:

7.  Know what you want to say.
 Identify yourself.
 Keep the message brief.
 Speak clearly and loudly enough to be recorded.
 If you don’t receive a response within two most days at most, make a
follow up call.
When you play your voice mail:
 Write down the caller’s name, phone number, and purpose of the
message.
 Listen to the rest of the message.
 Save the message.
 Replay the message to check the information and pat attention to vocal
cues indicating the caller’s mood.
 Respond to the message after you’ve played all message
Concerns about Voicemail.
Studies show voice mail use in rapid decline among texting young people:
 Found that people under 30 often leave voice messages and respond to
texts for a few minutes.
 Suggests that voice mail as we know it might be going extinct, to be
supplanted by using SMS text messaging,e-mail and social networking
services accessed via cell phone, and relatively new technologies that will
transcribe voice messages to text.

8. • Resources:
1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mail
2. http://www.livinginternet.com/e/ep.htm
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voicemail

9. 4. http://www.ehow.com/facts_5548378_voicemail-problems.html
5. For concern(email):
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a794795956~db=all~ju
mptype=rss
6- For concern(Voice mail):
http://www.obsessable.com/news/2009/04/06/studies-show-voice-mail-use-in-
rapid-decline-among-texting-young-people/