Marjorie, Do you find that students get frustrated with you as you try to "guide" them through their learning through those multiple communication attempts? I find many students want the exactly answer and immediately gratitfication. It is a learning process for the students to just understand that they need to more actively engage the content and experiment and research more to determine the answer. In my graduate courses we really try to get the students to interact with fellow students and help them build a "community" of learners. This community helps each other work through their issues as they arise. It was built a strong relationship amoung the students that last even after they graduate. Herbert Brown III