Journal of Information Systems Education (JISE)

Volume 13

Volume 13 Number 4, Pages 295-302

Winter 2002


Feedback Channels: Using Social Presence Theory to Compare Voice Mail to E-mail


Mark Keil
Roy D. Johnson

Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA 30303, USA

Abstract: This study compared the effects of using voice mail files sent as electronic mail (e-mail) attachments versus text-based e-mail to provide student feedback. Social Presence Theory (SPT) was used as the theoretical framework for assessing the two modes of delivering feedback. SPT would predict that voice mail would be perceived as higher than e-mail in terms of social presence. In accordance with SPT, the results indicate that voice mail was perceived to have significantly higher social presence than text-based e-mail. Both e-mail and voice mail were perceived as capable of providing a reasonably high quality of feedback. The results of this study indicate that students in the voice mail group appreciated the higher social presence of the medium, whereas students in the e-mail group appreciated receiving the text-based feedback because it could be printed and then later accessed and referenced in a non-sequential manner.

Keywords: Electronic mail, Feedback, Social presence theory

Download this article: JISE - Volume 13 Number 4, Page 295.pdf


Recommended Citation: Keil, M. & Johnson, R. D. (2002). Feedback Channels: Using Social Presence Theory to Compare Voice Mail to E-mail. Journal of Information Systems Education, 13(4), 295-302.