Findings from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) show that technology is playing a major role in communication between students and professors at four-year colleges nationwide.
The 2003 NSSE report used information provided by 185,000 first-year and senior students at 649 different four-year colleges and universities.
The survey maintains that 83 percent of students frequently use the Internet for classes, and 80 percent of students said that instructors require that they integrate the World Wide Web, computer conferencing, and other technology services into class work.
Academic Vice President John Neuhauser said he has noticed more communication between professors and students via email in the last several years at Boston College. However, with the greater volume of emails comes a drop-off in office visits.
"Overall the communication has increased, but it's a different kind," said Neuhauser. "There's still face-to-face communication and it may very well be the dominant mode, but there's been a tremendous increase in electronic communication."
John Burns, associate academic vice president for undergraduate programs, said that Web-based services at BC have improved interaction between students and professors.
Burns warned that technology only improves communication on a superficial level.
"With emails, there is a lot of factual stuff you can get out," said Burns. "But there's a lot of information you can only get personally, such as emotions and attitudes, through face-to-face interaction.
"You cannot understand the way in which someone says something over e-mail," he continued. "Sometimes emails are misinterpreted. They don't lead as easily to the next question as does a one-on-one discussion."
The rise in email use between professors and students does not necessarily indicate that engagement between the two groups is on an upswing.
Dale Herbeck, chair of the communication department, said a net increase in emailing might be just be a substitute for face-to-face interaction.
Herbeck described how in his 12-student seminar class he gave students the option to electronically or personally submit annotated bibliographies.
"Ten of the 12 people submitted it electronically," said Herbeck. "So, I think students want to use email and people are using email. What I'm intrigued in is whether that leads to more or less communication."
The communication department, which offers the most popular major at BC, sends a weekly email called "Major Mail" to its 900-plus majors each Monday, informing students of upcoming events and activities taking place in the department.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, the NSSE study reported that 62 percent of students said they frequently use email to communicate with professors.
John Travers, PhD, a part-time professor in the Lynch School of Education, said there has been in an increase in electronic communication, yet the volume of emails from class to class varies.
"The individual classes make a big difference," said Travers. "I don't know if it's the background of the students. This year's class [Child Growth and Development] is not into email. Last year's class was, constantly."
Herbeck said that while smaller classes encourage greater engagement between professors and students, the addition of smaller classes means large classes must grow even bigger.
The communication department has been greatly affected by this problem in the last several years, said Herbeck.
"On the one hand, my senior seminar is smaller," said Herbeck. "It went from 24 to 12 students, which is amazing now. We can have really intense conversations and it is very interactive."
"My big law class went from 60 or 70 students to 150 or 160," he said. "So in the one class, I have less interaction. You can't have a conversation with 150 people because I become the talking head."
Smaller classes are just one of several ways the University and individual departments try to encourage more communication and interaction between students and professors.
Neuhauser said student organizations and departmental newsletters could improve this engagement.
"There are organizations based in departments, such as student organizations, and interest groups are one of the better ways," said Neuhauser.
"As students and departments use Web-based services, you'll see more intense communication occurring electronically."
"Also, I would say we don't have much of physical gathering spaces, due to financial cost," he said. "That includes foyers outside offices where students and faculty could meet. We just don't have that, while some places do."
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