Using Email in the Online Learning Environment

In an online learning environment, communicating by email is an important part of getting things done.  For many students, emailing instructors can be intimidating, at least at first.  Being able to write a professional email will help you to be successful during your time at college and is an important skill for many workplaces.

Communicating with your instructor throughout the semester is an important part of being an active and engaged post-secondary student. Email is by far the most popular means by which this type of communication takes place. For students, emailing instructors is particularly appealing because it is familiar, easy, and convenient. But messages sent via email can easily be misunderstood unless special care is taken in their composition.

To avoid confusion, and to make it as easy as possible for your busy instructors to read and understand your email, there are a few basic principles to keep in mind. In this video, we cover five of these principles to ensure that your email communication is clear, effective, and professional.

Following these five principles in written communication will help you to communicate clearly, effectively, and professionally.

This work, “Use Email in the Online Learning Environment,” is a derivative of “Use Email in the Online Learning Environment” by Kwantlen Polytechnic University, used under CC BY 4.0. “Use Email in the Online Learning Environment” is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by Assiniboine College.