E-mail is a teacher's best friend. Most course tools offer either an internal email, where students can log into the program and pick up email sent to them. However, the drawback to this is that they have to log into the program. E-mail's more effective when it goes to the e-mail address students use by default.

An e-mail discussion list offers ways for students to interact and share information in class, and by asking them to join other lists outside of class, larger conversations. For example, several students from different schools take part in the discussion list AfterSept11, which is part of the free online reader by Eric Crump, After September 11: An Online Reader for Writers.

1. Assign one or two students per class to take notes and to write summaries of class discussions and post them to class lists.
2. Assign a student to list homework and other class assignment updates and changes to class list.
3. Extend classroom discussion in e-mail.
4. Use the list to send timely readings to class from online 'E-Mail This Article to a Friend' options.