NEXT STEPS: HOW TO APPLY THIS RESEARCH TO THE CONTEMPORARY FIELD OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION, EDUCATION, AND MENTAL WELLBEING
While the findings in this research project supplement existing knowledge on e-learning and academic indicators, there were several constraints that substantially limited the external validity of the results. For that reason, further studies on this topic should be designed to account for the shortcomings of this particular project. Below are some recommendations as to the direction future communication researchers and theorists take if they choose to build off of my experiment.
- Account for differences in geographic proximity to the school. Does the potency of e-learning on interpersonal relations and academic performance diminish with distance?
- Apply this study to a larger population to improve the internal validity of the data. While clear trendlines did emerge re: coding and content analysis, the sample population was too small for this study to not be followed-up with additional research to verify conclusions.
- Study a university program that is significantly larger than Professional Communication. The tight-knit nature of ProCom, where most people tended to know each other, could have biased these results relative to other, more standard undergraduate degrees.
- Meticulously explore the direct impacts of e-learning on interpersonal relations and the academic performance using quantitative data representations pulled from publicly available information. There is high potential for a mixed methods project to be particularly successful.
- Assess the impact of gender and sexual orientation in relation to the existing contextual framework, noting the increased likelihood of mental health problems and isolation in this community.
- Assess the impact of personal income and generational wealth in relation to the existing contextual framework, noting the accessibility and mental health concerns of those in perpetual poverty.
- Assess the impact of race and ethnicity in relation to the existing contextual framework, noting the increased likelihood of mental health problems and family structure instability in this community.