An Analysis of the Determinants of Student E-Mail Use

Abstract

This article uses survey data from different economic principles courses to examine two related questions. First, the impact of certain variables is analyzed, including both student-specific characteristics and those of the student's economic principles course, regarding the frequency of e-mail use. Second, the article considers whether students view e-mail as a substitute for or complement to other methods of contacting faculty. No matter the frequency of use, e-mail appears to be a viable substitute. Only infrequent users, however, appear to view e-mail as a complement to existing means of contact.