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Postal correspondence has been used in distance education ever since national
single-tariff postal services were introduced—more than 150 years ago in many
countries. Written postal correspondence remains the main channel of
communication—sometimes the only channel of communication—between student and
tutor in many distance education courses today, even in technologically advanced
countries. Postal correspondence is used primarily as a way for a student to submit
written homework assignments to a personal tutor, who then grades the work and sends back
written comments. This can help support a fruitful relationship between tutor and student,
the written comments provide a permanent record for later review, and the costs are
minimal. The drawbacks of postal correspondence include relatively long turnaround times,
especially where postal services are slow or unreliable, and its unsuitability for group
communication. Some distance courses now use fax rather than postal correspondence when
students and tutors have access to fax equipment and phone lines.
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