Concept Paper: Exploring Gen Z’s Communication Tools in Enhancing Post-COVID Educational Settings Through the Lens of Media Richness Theory

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-662-3_21How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Generation Z; Communication Tools; Post-COVID Education; Media Richness Theory; Interpersonal Communication

Abstract

The rapid evolution of digital communication tools, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has significantly transformed educational interactions. This study explores the impact of Generation Z’s preferred communication tools on interpersonal communication within post-COVID educational settings, with a particular focus on the interactions between lecturers and students. Grounded in Media Richness Theory, this research aims to identify the effectiveness, challenges, and opportunities associated with various digital platforms in enhancing academic communication. Using a qualitative approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with both students and lecturers across diverse academic disciplines to gain nuanced insights into their communication preferences, experiences, and perceived effectiveness. The findings reveal that while Gen Z students appreciate the convenience and immediacy of digital tools, there remain critical gaps in relational communication, emotional connection, and context interpretation. Furthermore, the study highlights the role of media richness in determining communication satisfaction and learning outcomes, emphasizing the need for carefully selecting communication channels based on task complexity and relational goals. These insights provide practical guidance for educators in selecting communication tools that foster deeper, more meaningful connections with their students, ultimately enhancing educational outcomes in the evolving digital landscape.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Nathasya Mohd Kamal
AU  - Wan Nor Hidayah Wan Afandi
AU  - Nurul Zaitul Itri Alias
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/14
TI  - Concept Paper: Exploring Gen Z’s Communication Tools in Enhancing Post-COVID Educational Settings Through the Lens of Media Richness Theory
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Cross- Disciplinary Academic Research 2025 - Track 3 Advances in Humanities, Education, Teaching, Learning & Arts (ICAR-T3 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 309
EP  - 319
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-662-3_21
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-662-3_21
ID  - Kamal2026
ER  -