Computer-Mediated Communication - The Power of Email as a Driver for Changing the Communication Paradigm

Abstract

Email has been with us now for a long time and is being increasingly adopted as a major communication tool in UK Higher Education (HE) establishments (colleges of Higher and Further Education and universities). As the use of email grows, the effect on communication patterns needs to be established. This chapter looks at current communication and working practices within a Higher Education institution in the UK (the author’s own). A survey has been conducted to elicit people’s feelings about the use of email and how they see future patterns of communication developing within the establishment. The questions that the survey set out to answer were as follows: • Preferred methods of communication; • Advantages and disadvantages of each of the communication methods utilized at Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU); • Efficiency of email; • Items not suitable for email transmission; • Ethical considerations in using email; • Who is contacted using email; and • Increase or decrease of email usage in the future. The specific focus of the survey was to elicit how staff feel about the increasing dependence on the use of email within the institution, and these findings are discussed in the results section. The chapter will present a literature review of the area, the framework for the study, the methodology utilized, the results of the questionnaire, conclusions and future trends.