Dr. Holly Kruse, professor and Greg Kunz Endowed Chair in the Department of Communications at Rogers State University, recently returned from an overseas trip, where she served both as a presenter at an academic conference as well as the co-organizer of an undergraduate teaching pre-conference workshop.
The conference of the Association of Internet Researchers was held Nov. 2-5 in Dublin, Ireland. It was hosted by four institutions, including Technological University Dublin, Maynooth University, University College Dublin and Dublin City University.
The Association of Internet Researchers is an academic association dedicated to the advancement of the cross-disciplinary field of internet studies. It is a member-based support network promoting critical and scholarly internet research independent from traditional disciplines and existing across academic borders. The association is international in scope.
Kruse’s presentation, based on her research, was titled “Biography, History, and Network Infrastructure: A Case Study,” which drew from the work of author Margaret Schlosser Wu, whose writings provide insight into hidden histories of the intersection of human, machine and institutional infrastructures.
Kruse’s workshop on undergraduate teaching went beyond research and included insight gained from feedback about the use of social media among college students.
“Aside from the fact that undergraduate teaching is crucial, and so many people in the organization do it, we make certain assumptions about our students’ use of media – social media – and in the classroom and online discussion forums, students talking about their internet use, social media, etc. will say surprising things, things that go against what one is reading in the research,” she said. “We are learning from them, and I felt that needed to be represented at the (pre-conference) workshop.”
Kruse has authored numerous journal articles and research papers, as well as multiple books, including “Off-Track and Online: The Networked Spaces of Horse Racing,” “Site and Sound: Understanding Independent Music Scenes,” and “Gender and Technology: An Introduction.” She is a regular conference presenter and participant.
For more information about the Association of Internet Researchers, visit https://aoir.org/.