Over the past few years, our world drastically changed economically and socially, and we have evolved and adapted into a new society due to COVID-19. The people who have suffered most directly are not the adults forced to work at home but the students who lost up to 2 years of quality education. I was an eighth grader transitioning into high school, and I was stranded, alone, and isolated in an environment that pushed me away from others. Due to this isolation, students and faculty found new solutions to the lack of face-to-face interaction through Zoom, email, google classroom, and so much more. Even amid a worldwide pandemic, technology was the one thing that kept our society together and unified. But another hurdle teachers faced when it came to teaching was motivating students in a virtual setting, whether attentiveness to lectures or submitting assignments. This begs the question of how individuals in leadership roles can motivate students through virtual communication. 

The question, "How individuals in leadership roles can motivate students through virtual communication?" stimulated a research interest due to its intriguing overlap of leadership, education, and technology. The current technological era has brought about a drastic shift in the dynamics of teaching and learning, prompting a reevaluation of leadership strategies to engage students and inspire them to broaden their horizons effectively. 

In my study, high school students were recruited to participate in a controlled experiment to examine their responses to different email communication styles. After acquiring consent from the participants, we introduced the conditions: three distinct styles of emails were formulated and sent to the students. The email styles differed based on tone, formality, and content structure. In essence, the email prompted students to take a photo of nature and submit it for review. Following the initial correspondence, a one-week interval was implemented before dispatching a follow-up email to all participants. The experimental results revealed that out of the 52 students who initially signed up, only 20 completed the project. The data regarding who completed the project, when it was completed, and the time invested by each participant appeared to be random. It did not exhibit any discernable patterns or correlations. Interestingly, the study found minimal difference in the response rates across the three different email styles, indicating that the email style did not significantly influence the participants' engagement or completion rates.

This research is critical as it delves into a largely unexplored area: the effect of communication style in the context of technology-mediated education. As our world becomes more interconnected and reliant on technology, understanding the nuances of digital communication, especially emails, and how to simulate in-person interactions in a virtual environment will become increasingly important. While our study yielded few conclusive results due to certain limitations, such as a small, geographically restricted sample size and a lack of external motivation for the participants, it provides an important foundation for further research in this field. It is also worth noting that our chosen research task (photography) may have resonated with only some participants, and they may have been overwhelmed with their other commitments, leading to a lower completion rate.

Our findings' significance lies in the world's evolving nature and the shift towards a more remote and flexible lifestyle. In light of recent developments demonstrating the feasibility of remote work and learning, more individuals and organizations are likely to adopt these practices. This is evident in community colleges, where most courses can now be taken virtually, further emphasizing the importance of effective virtual student-teacher communication. The changes in working and learning conditions will not likely return to the old norms. Hence, this research provides valuable insights into developing effective strategies for tech communication in education. Understanding and addressing these aspects will be vital in shaping future communication, learning environments, and overall productivity in our increasingly digital world.