This thesis, completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Education Specialist in Instructional Technology at Valdosta State University, is composed of two main sections, an action research proposal and a journal ready article. The action research proposal includes a review of the literature, a description of the intervention, a timeline for the research, a description of the data collection tools, a plan for data analysis, and a summary of how the results will be communicated with the learning community. The action research was conducted at Dooly Middle School in Pinehurst, Georgia, a rural area with a low socio-economic population. The 3-week intervention consisted of eighthgrade students, in three different social studies classes, using e-mail and an online discussion board to communicate with their assigned group members to support the development of social studies projects on the Civil War period of American history. Data pertaining to student experiences, perceptions and social studies achievement was collected and analyzed. Students' experiences and perceptions pertaining to the use of email and an online discussion board were positive, and their projects demonstrated mastery of the social studies content. After the data collected during the intervention was analyzed, the journal ready article was prepared. This article includes a description of the intervention, a summary of the results, a discussion of the results and incidental findings, and a description of how the results were shared with the faculty at Dooly Middle. The administration at Dooly Middle has displayed a significant interest in technology integration and in this particular action research study. The results of this research may further encourage the school to support the use of computer-mediated communication tools, such as email and online discussion boards, in the classroom.