Plug-and-Play Projects

As long as topics, research questions, and hypotheses meet the new media and communication behavior focused criteria and can be addressed using interviews, focus groups, and surveys within the limited time and resources available students can do their projects on almost anything.

However, if you are having problems coming up with your own ideas or simply do not want to deal with that process, you can use one of these "pre-owned" topic/research question/hypothesis. Each one was used in previous projects for this course. Using one of these won't count against you as every project is unique.

I would caution that I am the only one who has ever taught this course (also designed it) so submitting a former students work is dicey (and unethical). Not that YOU would, just saying...

Topic: College students and personal technological devices in the classroom
RQ:What is the impact of personal electronic devices on students’ engagement in the educational experience while in the physical classroom?
H: Students’ use of personal electronic devices in the physical classroom is positively correlated with engagement when the use is authorized and regulated by the instructor.

Topic: Social media and sporting events
RQ:What role does social media play in how people consume/interact with specific sporting events (compared to TV) such as the Olympics?
H: People’s use of social media enhance their experience of the sporting event by giving them more information of what is going on and sharing that with others who are not present.

Topic: How the use of new media affects the way that we interact with traditional media.
RQ: How does the use of second screens affect the way people watch live television programs or events?
H: The primary reasons people use second screen in collaboration with live television programs or events is to enhance comprehension and social interaction.

Topic: The perception of internet security on his/her participation in online activities.
RQ: What is the impact of a user perception of internet security on her/his participation in online activities?
H: The user perception of web privacy and security is negatively correlated with the willingness of users to engage in online activities.

Topic: How university students interact online in mandated discussion forums.
RQ: What are the uses and gratifications of students in mandated online discussion forums?
H: More and/or longer posts are correlated with higher satisfaction with online discussion.

Topic: The effects of SNS on romantic relationships.
RQ: How are romantic relationships affected by the use of Social Networking Sites such as Facebook and Instagram?
H: Frequent use of SNS will increase and/or facilitate jealousy and partner monitoring behaviors.

Topic: Online dating and college students.
RQ: What do college students perceive as the advantages/disadvantages of using social media in initiating romantic relationships?
H: College students perceive social media as a low stress method of initiating contact with potential partners.

Topic: Evaluating online review sites (e.g. Yelp, Rate-my-Professor)
RQ: What criteria do users of online review sites use to evaluate reviews?
H: People have specific strategies in evaluating the quality and utility of online reviews.

Topic: Preferences and rules for using different modes of communication
RQ: What factors are associated with young adults’ choice to text rather than use other forms of communication?
H: Young adults will prefer communication through texting for messages that are not very emotionally complex, but for messages that are emotionally complex young adults will prefer face-to-face communication.

Topic: Use of graphics in text messaging
RQ: How and why do people use graphical (emoji) and contextual capabilities to convey meaning and emotion through text.  
H: People use graphical and contextual capabilities to communicate specific emotions (in non-ambiguous situations) in order to eliminate this chance of misunderstanding.  

Topic: General use studies or uses and gratifications research. Basically how and why people use a certain type of digital service.
RQ: How and why do people use Instagram (or Snapchat or Twitter, etc.) to communicate?
H: People primarily use Instagram to perform an online identity.

Topic: Self-representation online
RQ: What kinds of unwritten rules do women follow in posting pictures on social media?
H: Women are primarily concerned with the content of photos that feature themselves both alone and in social settings in order to build their online and social identities.

Here is good example of some basic research on social media:

Social media: Girls follow unwritten rules