The Efficacy of Text Messaging to Improve Social Connectedness and Team Attitude in Student Technical Communication Projects
This experimental study investigates the impact of short messaging service (SMS) text messaging on social connectedness and group attitude in student technical communication projects. It also investigates message types and communication medium preferences. Using a between subjects design, the experiment compares two student groups: SMS only and non SMS. The results indicated several statistically significant differences. Compared to students in the non SMS group, students in the SMS only group (a) communicated more, (b) felt more connected, and (c) sent more questions, answers, and nonproject related messages. These results provide empirical evidence for using SMS in team contexts.