Paul Hayes

Text Messaging for Out-of-Class Communication: Impact on Immediacy and Affective Learning

While out-of-class communication between instructors and students can impact all types of student learning it has its greatest impact on student affective learning, including motivation and engagement. One of the primary reasons for this is that the out-of-class communication enhances student perception of instructor immediacy. Immediacy is defined as behaviour which increases psychological closeness between communicators. Research studies in instructional communication suggest that improved instructor immediacy is linked to enhance affective learning. A research study was conducted into the use of text messaging for out-of-class communication and the impact it had on student perception of instructor immediacy and student affective learning. Both quantitative measures of immediacy and qualitative feedback from students show that the instructor is perceived as closer, more approachable and responsive when text messaging services are offered. The student feedback also reveals that the use of text messaging has other positive effects on affective learning.