Proposal
Last year Holly Kruse (Rogers State University) and Adrienne Shaw (Temple University) organized the second Undergraduate Teaching Workshop at AoIR in order to address a previously overlooked area at AoIR conferences that is of critical importance to many AoIR members. Building on the momentum of two successful workshops, one online in 2021 (with the third founding co-organizer, Emily van den Nagel of Monash University) and one in-person in 2022, this year we (Holly Kruse, and Kelly Boudreau of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology) are proposing another half-day undergraduate-teaching-focused workshop for the 2022 conference. Teaching is a big part of most of our academic lives, whether we are graduate teaching assistants or junior or senior faculty members; tenure-track, tenured, or contingent faculty; experienced educators or instructors relatively new to teaching. In the classroom (on campus or virtual), our students’ understandings of social media and internet use don’t always align with broader press or research narratives.
This workshop endeavors to bring educators together to discuss the difficulties and joys of teaching in, on, and around the internet. Questions for discussion will focus on (but not be limited to): What do we learn from our students about the internet, how are we using the internet to teach, and what’s the best way of bringing AoIR research into our classrooms? How do we use the internet in teaching when our students don’t have broadband access, aren’t digitally-savvy, and when our institutions do not offer robust technical infrastructures or support?
As professors with teaching experience that spans types of institutions, student populations, and institutional support, we understand that there are no one-size fits all solutions to teaching in ever-changing technological and social contexts. The experience of running two workshops has made us more aware of the ways in which teaching loads, expectations of service to students and administration, and institutional terminologies differ around the world. The workshop is therefore discussion/conversation-based so we can all learn from and with one another.
In terms of logistics, the main event will be held in-person in Philadelphia, with the workshop planned primarily as an in-person event, but virtual participation can be accommodated by allowing auditors to view the in-person conversation over Zoom and possibly participate via chat or video and audio as time and resources allow. All registered participants will be able to contribute their thoughts via a shared Google Doc. This will require no more than wifi access and ideally a room with a computer/projector system, and we manage any hybrid set-up entirely among ourselves.
Our session will begin with a welcome that emphasizes AoIR’s principles. Having this statement written in the shared Google doc and visible for all participants means that it’s in sight and front of mind: This workshop adheres to AoIR’s Statement of Principles and Statement of Inclusivity, which is a commitment to academic freedom, equality of opportunity, and human dignity. This means that in this workshop, just like in the rest of the AoIR conference, no harassment or discrimination will be permitted, and members must commit to the inclusion and recognition of all members. We appreciate the participants in this session arriving with a shared sense of purpose, community, and respect as we discuss teaching today. https://aoir.org/diversity-and-inclusivity/
We know from previous workshops that a minimum of 10 participants and a maximum of 25 is ideal for making the workshop both productive for participants and manageable for organizers. Prior to the workshop, participants will be asked to respond to a questionnaire so that we have a sense of the teaching contexts and expectations of those attending. We also intend to use the shared Google document as a resource that participants can use after the event, especially because we are asking participants to list helpful classroom resources as part of our session.
Regarding the workshop structure and goals, upon participant registration and completion of the questionnaire, we will tailor the workshop to focus on experiences and resources brought forth by the participants and expand on them through discussion. Broadly, the first hour will focus on introductions, outlining the key concerns, questions, and issues resulting from the questionnaire responses. The second hour will focus on participants sharing their strategies, assignments or techniques employed in their teaching practices that center around digital media and internet research in a pedagogical setting. During the third hour, if time allows, participants will work in smaller groups, the topics of which will be determined by workshop participants. Each participant can then join the group that best addresses their needs and expectations. The fourth and final hour will include summation of any group work and discussion of plans for documenting and sharing strategies and materials that were discussed throughout the workshop.
