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Sheer, Vivian C., Rung, Timothy K. "Can email communication enhance professor-student relationship and student evaluation of professor?: Some empirical evidence." J. Educational Computing Research 37.3 (2007): 289-306. Print.


This article focuses on comparing emails from both professors and students and determining how email factors into professor-student interactions and intrapersonal relations, student evaluation of the professor, and teaching effectiveness.


The author conducted a voluntary-response survey at a university in Hong Kong. Using questionnaires gathered from 408 students, he then ran paired t-tests to determine significance. In my opinion, the procedure was not horrible, but it most definitely could be improved upon. First of all, this is not a random sample, and therefore it cannot be conclusive. Also, the data published was difficult to understand, so I am not sure even a paired t test would be effective.


As I am studying communication between professors and students, the ideas presented in this article were useful. As this survey was conducted in Hong Kong, however, the results are not applicable. Instead, the methods and background research are the most helpful connections to my project. In addition to studying email communication, my project also entails a comparison of email versus personal communication, i. e. the ratio of email communication to personal, what is more likely to be conveyed through email, etc.